Beginnings beyond Endings
by GrainneSwann
Summary: The events that follow Charlotte's departure from Sanditon.
1. Chapter 1

_London,_

_August 1823_

To say that Lady Susan found this most recent disclosure shocking must be labelled an understatement.

She simply could not bring herself to believe it. And yet she held in her hands the very proof belying her disbelief at such an unexpected chain of events. A wedding invitation from Mr Sydney Parker. An invitation to attend his wedding not to Miss Haywood but to that limpet Eliza Campion!

It simply would not do. Of course she would have to refuse. She could not fathom what had caused a man so clearly besotted with with one young lady to instead, suddenly, tie himself to another. Another who had already proven unfaithful; who had once before taken his heart, crushed it beneath her mass-manufactured slippers and proceeded to flaunt it before all and sundry. Truly! The woman was lacking in every refinement desirable in a lady.

But Lady Susan's thoughts rapidly diverted her attention to poor Charlotte Haywood. Sweet child that she was, Lady Susan could easily find within herself great concern for her young friend and the state of her heart in the midst of this excitement. There was only one thing to done for it she concluded decisively.


	2. Chapter 2

_Willingden,_

_September 1823_

Charlotte Haywood was certainly not expecting the receipt of a letter from London. In truth she could think of no person with whom she could have any reason for corresponding. It was such a peculiar thing.

She was certain it could not be from Sidney Parker. For even if he could not recognise the futility of writing her himself, the new Mrs Parker would certainly ensure that no contact was to be had between them.

Georgiana, to her knowledge, was still residing in Sanditon under the, admittedly unobservant, gaze of Mrs Griffiths. And she had besides received a letter and sent a reply of her own just yesterday to that lady.

Perhaps Mr Parker and Mary were spending some time in Town and the letter was from them. Regardless, the only way Charlotte would get her answer to the author's identity would be to open the letter and avail herself of it's contents. And so she did.

_My dearest Charlotte,_

_Oh, my dear, I have just been made aware of the most unfortunate event, though I feel certain you knew of it long before I. To hear that Mister Parker has tied himself to that grasping harlot Eliza Campion, well it is shocking. He had impressed upon me the image of a man of greater sense than that. _

_But Charlotte, you must have been so bitterly disheartened. My imagination cannot possibly do your disappointment justice, I fear. _

_I do bear some good news, my friend, so you may take heart in that. My Prinny has just purchased a new house in Bath for me so that I might enjoy visits to my family with greater regularity. But that is not my good news. _

_Hear this Charlotte, the furnishings are dreadfully outdated and the building is in great need of modernising. With Prinny uninterested as he is with such concerns, I shall be entirely alone during this endeavour. And so, Charlotte, I insist that you accompany me to Bath and aid me in my project for I can imagine no lady whose company I would enjoy so much as yours. _

_If you, and of course your father and mother, are in agreement, I shall collect you in my carriage a sennight Thursday that we might travel together. It shall be such fun. _

_Ever faithfully,_

_Lady Susan_

Well that was certainly an unexpected surprise. When Charlotte departed Sanditon three months past, she certainly would not have thought to hear again from Lady Susan!


	3. Chapter 3

_Bath,_

_September 1823_

Three weeks had passed since Charlotte's arrival in Bath. And their days had been so filled with hustle and bustle, with social calls and shopping and so many new experiences, that Charlotte found herself with scarcely a moment to dwell on her heartache. Which is not to say that she did not dwell. She did. Only very little, for her mind was occupied by far more wonderful thoughts during her waking hours.

Her sleeping hours however, well those were plagued with imaginings of what might have been, what was and all that she wished could be.

This morning, though, was different. With the rise of the sun over the roofs of the city came the papers from Town, and with the papers from Town came the knowledge that Sydney Parker was irrevocably joined with Eliza Campion. That they were, at last, united within the tender embrace of matrimony.

Lady Susan tried to cheer her friend but Charlotte was in no mood this day for high spirits. People say misery loves company. People were wrong. Any yet she would would smile and make conversation and she would hide the turbulence in her soul. Because misery makes for poor companions.


	4. Chapter 4

_Bath,_

_October 1823_

It was late when Charlotte eventually found time to settle at the bureau in her bedchamber and write another letter home to her parents and brothers and sisters. The sky beyond the panes of her window was dark, the streets lit only by the stars and the candlelight from the homes lining the walkways.

From the bureau Charlotte drew paper, quill and ink and set to her correspondence. She had so many tales to tell and surely not enough paper to share them.

_Dear mama, papa,_

_So very much has happened since last I wrote. But before I part with my news I must respond to yours. It is completely wonderful to hear that John has finally asked Kate to marry him! I cannot wait to call her my sister and to have nieces and nephew to chase after. You must give them both my love and tell them I am only sorry that I am not there to do it myself. My hugs will have to wait until I return home at the month complete._

_Of a more melancholy nature, it saddens me to hear of old Mr Jenkins passing. I do hope Mrs Jenkins will recover from the loss and return to her lively self one day. She does not want for anything? There is nothing I can bring for her that might lift her spirits?_

_But it will not do to be sad for there are such joys and diversions to be had here. Of course there are the sea walks and the Baths and all the evening entertainments, I have been to the theatre more these past weeks than ever before in all my life! But I find myself most diverted by the fashions and peculiarities of the people here. It seems there is nothing one should not know about one's neighbours and somehow everything one should not know about one's self. It is very confusing and I often catch myself thinking what other's know of me that I do not._

_Oh papa! There is the most enormous lending library here. I feel certain you would love were ever you to see it. It would take quite three lifetimes to read all the books! And you would never believe it but it is so often empty. I could not imagine having so wonderful a place on my very doorstep and not always gracing its halls!_

_It is late now and even the maids are to bed so I will ask you to give my love to everyone and wish you all pleasant dreams and lovely days._

_Affectionately,_

_Charlotte_

As she signed her letter Charlotte tried to believe she was as happy as she let her parents believe. She knew, in her heart of hearts, though that this was a lie.


	5. Chapter 5

_Willingden,_

_October 1823_

Charlotte had spent two months in Bath and, under the attentive eye of Lady Susan, had begun to truly flourish. She had been increasingly exposed to the sort of society that just a year ago had seemed an entire universe away from her little world in Willingden. Her wardrobe, of which formerly consisted loved and remade day dresses crafted by local seamstresses, now held a wealth of colours and fabrics and accessories beyond anything she had ever thought to call her own. This was of course following much convincing on Lady Susan's part.

The most important change though, could only be the growth in her character. From all these new experiences she had formed an ever deeper understanding of the world, and with deeper understanding of the world came deeper understanding of herself.

But for all she had enjoyed the diversions of Bath and the society to be found there, she was eager to return home to her family. This had been one of her many discoveries. Though she found she loved to travel, to explore new places and all the adventures to be had, she loved even more returning to her home and her family when her adventures ended.

And this, her latest adventure, was approaching its close. Tomorrow morning Lady Susan departed again for London and Charlotte would continue to Willingden from there. Two short days from now she would find herself back in her family's loving, welcoming embrace.

~•~

The journey to London had been long and uncomfortable for it seems the wheels of their carriage caught on every hole in the road surface that could be found. She had enjoyed a light dinner with Lady Susan at her London home and broken her fast long before the rest of the household was awake. Shortly she had been deposited in another carriage which would convey her for the remainder of her journey home.

She was, at this very moment approaching the point where a fork in the road would diverge their path from the village towards her father's modest estate. For indeed, when she looked beyond the confines of her conveyance, Charlotte could spy the great fir trees that marked the northern border of her home.

Not ten minutes later, Charlotte had been deposited into the waiting arms of her parents as her younger siblings clustered around them. Her oldest brother stood waiting to the side with her closest friend, Kate Bayfield, who would, in a matter of weeks become her sister. Her elder sister could be seen making her way along the path from Willingden with her husband and their daughter to hear tales of her travels.

Charlotte's remaining elder brother was the only relative not counted among her gathered family. She suspected he had been unable to get away from his work in town, and truly her return home was hardly so significant an event as to warrant a visitation from the busiest of her siblings.

* * *

**Author's note**

I would like to thank BstnStrg13 for leaving the first review. Your positive comments are hugely appreciated and I hope you enjoy these new chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

_Willingden,_

_November 1823_

Charlotte had been home not three days when her sister, Anne, had found her weeping, tucked away within one the many hiding places in which they had dwelt and played as children and swept her up into a comforting hug.

"Oh dearest, won't you tell me what troubles you so? You have been so out of sorts since you returned home from Sanditon. I had hoped this trip with your new friend would have gone some way towards raising your spirits but you only seem more down-hearted."

Charlotte sniffled wiped her watering eyes on the sleeve of her morning gown. "I did not realise heartbreak could hurt quite so much or last so long as this." She quietly confessed with a whisper. Anne, sighed and pressed a kiss to Charlotte's head. She had suspected her sister might be broken-hearted, but had hoped she was mistaken in her suspicions.

"Little Charlotte, it pains us to see you this way. I had hoped, perhaps, you only missed all the things Willingden lacks." Anne shared as she pondered how to comfort her sister. She had no experiences of her own with heartbreak to draw guidance from. " I will not say I know how you are feeling, Charlotte, for you know I do not, but even I know love hurts sometimes. I cannot tell you it will get better because I do not know that it will. What I do know, is that you are strong and that you will not let sadness settle and end all your happiness."

"But how, Annie? I loved and lost and didn't even know until it was too late. How am I to move on from such a thing?"

"You will wake every morning as you always do. You will smile and play and read and find humour where you may. And perhaps, with time, your soul will hurt a little less and your smiles will grow a little brighter and your happiness will feel less like pretending and ever more real. You'll be happy again, Charlotte, you will."

Charlotte could only sob and press closer into her sister's embrace and hope that she spoke the truth.


	7. Chapter 7

_Willingden,_

_March 1824_

Charlotte was packing a trunk in preparation of her departure to London the following day. She was to accompany her sister to Town and keep her and her niece in good company and constant entertainment while her brother-in-law saw to some business affairs.

Usually, she would not join them on their trips and her niece would stay with their parents in Willingden, but this visit was anticipated to be several weeks in duration. As such, Anne had insisted on bringing their daughter and her sister with them to keep her own boredom and idleness at bay.

Charlotte considered that she might pay a call to Lady Susan during their time in Town. They had maintained regular correspondence since their visit to bath. Charlotte decided she would pen a letter to her friend that evening.

* * *

_London,_

_March 1824_

Lady Susan was breaking her fast when the morning post was brought to her attention. Among the pile were the usual news and society pages, calling cards from various and a missive from her lover. A note from Miss Heywood could also be found within. Once Prinny's note had been addressed, Lady Susan chose to read this piece of new correspondence first.

_Dear Susan,_

_I shall soon be travelling with my sister and her husband to spend some weeks in London with them as my brother-in-law attends to business and to visit with my elder brother. I wonder if, perhaps, you would welcome a call from us while we are in Town? I should certainly be delighted to see you again. If you would kindly direct your reply to my brother's home at 17 Fitzroy Square, I shall await it eagerly._

_Your friend,_

_Charlotte_

Well that was certainly pleasant news. Lady Susan would indeed welcome a call from Miss Heywood and should be well enough please to make the acquaintance of her sister. She was glad that Fitzroy Square was not so unfashionable an area that she should cause too terrible a scandal to be seen returning her friend's visit. And perhaps Charlotte and her sister would welcome a trip to Bond Street?


	8. Chapter 8

_London,_

_March 1824_

Awaiting her upon their arrival at her brother Justin's townhouse in Fitzroy Square was a reply from Lady Susan. Her brother, it must be admitted had not quite known what to make of the delivery of a note for his sister by the liveried footman that had appeared on his doorstep. In truth he had at first thought the man had lost his way and was, perhaps, in need of direction.

Charlotte was heartened to receive the reply stating that a visit from herself and her sister would be welcomed. And so, they quickly found themselves borrowing her brother's carriage and making their way to Nº7 Berkeley square where Lady Susan resided while in Town. Shortly, they had arrived before a townhouse with a great many windows and a blue-painted door.

Stepping down from the carriage, Charlotte and Anne gazed upon the sight before them in wonder. Never in their lives had they seen such opulence and splendour as this. Their arrival had been anticipated and they were greeted cordially if somewhat disdainfully by a tall, ageing man who could only be Lady Susan's butler.

"May I divest you of your coats ma'am?" It occurred to Charlotte then that it must be tedious to appear so stern all the time. She smiled and thanked him and passed to him her coat, hat and gloves. Her sister did the same and they were efficiently escorted into a lavishly decorated music room where they found Lady Susan seated at a piano-forte, turning sheet music for her eldest daughter.

They were announced and Lady Susan greeted them with a smile before suggesting to her daughter she might find her governess and indulge in a walk through Hyde Park.

"Thank you Lowdes, perhaps you could ask Mrs Kimpton to arrange some light refreshments for us? I hope butter biscuits are to your tastes?" Lady Susan requested as she dismissed the dour man.

"Oh, yes, of course. Whatever is convenient will serve us quite well." Charlotte confirmed. "Lady Susan, you must allow me to introduce to you my sister, Mrs Anne Hurvey."

"But of course," Lady Susan smiled, "Charlotte always speaks highly of you in her letters and I am eager to know you better. Come, sit down and tell me of yourself." Lady Susan directed them to a cluster of chairs around a fireplace.

Charlotte, Anne and Lady Susan spent much of the morning engaged in diverting conversation broken only by a brief appearance from Lord Worcester and the summoning of more tea. Tales were told of the scandals and follies to be found among the Beau Monde, of the antics to be observed in children, of the political climate and the nation's military endeavours.

Before long, hours had passed, and they could remain no longer and be considered polite. They departed with promises to call again and the arrangements for a visit to Bond Street and Oxford Street agreed between them.


	9. Chapter 9

_London,_

_April 1824_

Their time in London was drawing to a close as Charlotte made her way through the streets of London towards Berkeley Square on the arm of her brother. She planned to make a final call to Lady Susan before she returned to Willingden with her sister to prepare for the arrival of her younger sister, Julia's, first child.

Charlotte and her sister had enjoyed two trips to Bond street in the past month and this had displayed only the barest glimmers of Lady Susan's skill and generosity as a friend and hostess. They had delighted in the entertainments to be had at Covent and Vauxhall Gardens. They had attended the theatre on no less than three separate occasions and been introduced to many of her high-society friends during those wonderful evenings.

To Charlotte though, the most incredible of all these things must surely be the day that was spent at the Newmarket Racecourse. Charlotte, though a great lover of horses, and of riding them at great speeds across the hills of Surrey, had never had the pleasure of attending the races. And a pleasure it had certainly been for Lady Susan had surprised them with appearance of a royal carriage to convey them from London.

But even the wonders of the races and the opulent conveyance paled in the wake of an introduction the King of their great nation. He was not what Charlotte had expected. She knew of the rumours, of course she did; surely there was a not a person from Edinburgh to Brighton who had not heard them.

She, as most others did, had known of the former Prince Regent's penchant for excess. And she was aware he wore a corset to hide the true extent of growth that had resulted from his excesses. She had not expected that his corset would be so wholly insuffiecient to hide the greatness of his girth or that he would wear more powders and perfumes than a dock-yard doxy.

Still, the experience had been quite her favourite of all of them and Charlotte would not dwell on the shock of her introduction to their Monarch. She would never forget though, the spectacle of his attempts to ingratiate himself with the attractive ladies around him even as he was within the hearing of long-time mistress. Poor Lady Susan, surely such a thing was not easily tolerated?


	10. Chapter 10

_Willingden,_

_May 1824_

Charlotte could not contain her happiness at finally meeting the newest of her nieces and nephews. Her younger sister Julia had delivered her daughter, Jane, into their world not two days ago and already the dear thing had her parents quite enthralled by her. And this joyous occasion had been made even more so by the announcement that she would soon have not one but two more nieces or nephews to smother with cuddles and kisses.

And she intended to smother her new niece very much indeed. For she would be returned once again to London in a mere three weeks where she would be staying with Lady Susan as she prepared to enter her confinement at the end of the summer. Charlotte had been made aware of the approaching addition to Lady Susan's family at their last meeting before Charlotte had returned to her lovely Surrey. Lady Susan had requested her company over the later months of her pregnancy when ready entertainment would not be so easily had.

Charlotte had, of course, been delighted to accept. She was certain she would enjoy her time with Lady Susan even in the absence of the affairs they had delighted in previously. A shrill cry shook Charlotte from her thoughts as she looked down to smile at the squirming babe in her arms. And, looking into the depths of those dark eyes so frequently seen in infants, she realised that her sister had been right.

So distracted had she been lately that barely a thought had been spared for Sidney Parker. Her soul did indeed feel lighter. There were, she pondered, a great many things in her life to be thankful for and to take joy in, not the least of which were her delightful nieces and nephews, who were even now trampling mud tracks through her sister's pristinely kept parlour.


	11. Chapter 11

_London,_

_June 1824_

Two weeks into her second visit to London, Charlotte had attended three balls, two plays and no less than four dinner parties hosted by those counted among Lady Susan's acquaintance. She had been introduced to Lords and Ladies and to politicians and diplomates, and though she doubted any of those fashionable people would continue any acquaintance with her when she departed London after the christening of Lady Susan's anticipated babe, she had enjoyed herself immensely.

Charlotte had but barely arrived and situated herself at her friend's Berkeley Square residence when she had been bundled into a carriage and escorted to yet more fittings at Bond Street and Oxford Street's finest establishments. For Lady Susan anticipated her young friend would be a great success among the _beau monde_ and she would strive to ensure it.

That night they were to enjoy more intimate entertainments hosted here in Lady Susan's own home and she looked forward to an evening spent in pleasant company. She knew that Miss Harriet Garrows, the daughter of Viscount Garrows, would be among the attendees and Lady Delilah Maverthorpe, Lady Susan's niece, whose family had already arrived and she could only be delighted to know them better.

Many others who would be present, she knew, were a good many years her senior and far too refined to bother ingratiating themselves with someone they viewed as beneath their notice. But this did not pain Charlotte. What did she want with friends who considered themselves so superior to her and would be little more than coldly civil?

At that moment Charlotte was sat in an intimate corner of the large drawing room on the first floor engaged in conversation with Lady Delilah about the death of Lord Byron, news of which had reached London just days before her own arrival. As they spoke the guests began to arrive and they were shortly joined by Miss Harriet.

It was some minutes later that Charlotte gasped as she looked up to see the last party to arrive. She had not expected to see anyone from Sanditon again, least of all at a party held by Lady Susan. So she was shocked indeed to come face to face with Esther Denham. Or rather Lady Esther Babbington who, even as Charlotte was immersed in her own thoughts, had noticed the familiar face and moved to join the three girls.

"Miss Heywood, what a surprise! I did not know you were in London. You must be very pleased to have received the invitation to Lady Susan's dinner party? Lady Delilah, Miss Garrows, a pleasure." She greeted the girls and the latter two murmured polite greetings in return.

"I too find myself surprised Lady Babbington for I had not thought we would meet again. I am always delighted to be in Lady Susan's company; such is the nature of friends is it not? You are well I suppose?" Charlotte replied as she steeled her nerves. Of course, Lady Babbington had not expected to meet her here. It was not, after all, a place one would typically find an insignificant gentleman's daughter.

Just then, Lowdes appeared to announce the evening meal and the group arranged themselves to go down to dinner where Charlotte and Esther had not been placed near each other. Further conversation would have to wait until they retired to the drawing room once again as the gentleman smoked their cigars and partook of their whiskey.

~•~

Later that evening, once meats and pastries had been enjoyed by all, the man gathered for spirits and discussions of politics and the terrors that were their wives as the ladies retreated once more to the comforts of the drawing room.

Charlotte sat with Lady Susan and the pair were quickly joined by Lady Babbington who was curious to know why Charlotte had suddenly appeared among the _Ton_. Surely even her evidently close friendship with the Lady could not wholly explain her popularity among the _cream of society_?

"Lady Susan, Miss Heywood. You are both well?" Esther greeted as she slipped into one of the delicate French chairs around the mantle.

"We are Lady Babbington, I thank you. Marriage appears to agree with you and so I shall suppose you, too, are well." Lady Susan replied. Esther smiled and turned to Charlotte.

"And you Miss Heywood? I find I am most pleased to renew our acquaintance, unexpected though it was." Esther dissembled.

"Yes, I am well, Lady Babbington. Lady Susan was most kind in inviting me to visit with her until Christmas, though we will be removing to Badminton House at the end of the month and are not likely to return until the summer heat passes." Charlotte explained to Esther's incredulity. It certainly explained a great deal,; if Lady Susan had taken Charlotte into her sphere of influence, perhaps even sponsored her introduction to good society then of course she would be keeping company with the august personages present that evening. Esther smiled. She may not have been overly fond of Charlotte Heywood, but she had appreciated her forthrightness.

"You must call me Esther, Miss Heywood. And perhaps we might call upon each other while you are in _Town_?" Esther suggested as the gentleman joined the ladies and she noticed her husband approaching.

"Very well, Esther. And you must call me Charlotte." Charlotte smile back before she greeted Lord Worcester and Lord Babbington as they joined them.

* * *

_London,_

_July 1824_

Some days later, both Charlotte and Esther could be found strolling through Hyde Park in each other's company. Though somewhat surprised at Esther's cordiality, Charlotte found she enjoyed the other woman's conversation. Lady Babbington had a frankness in her address that she had not before encountered and she appreciated the directness in a way she had not anticipated.

Charlotte quickly found her acquaintance with Esther growing into a strong friendship that she hoped would withstand the test of time. For her own part, Esther soon found herself counting Charlotte Heywood among her truest friends, and, while not yet long in duration, she looked forward to the time she could also send Charlotte invitations to join her either here in London or at their country home in Suffolk. Perhaps she could conspire with Lady Susan to arrange Charlotte's introduction to suitors of higher status in society to ensure their friendship would continue for many years to come.


	12. Chapter 12

_London,_

_October 1824_

They had but recently returned to London from Badminton House, and not a day had passed before Lady Susan was beset upon by the King. Before they had departed on their journey back to Town, Lady Susan had sent a note to her lover expressing her desire to name her young friend God-mother to her child, a desire the king had not been inclined to agree with his lover upon.

The thought of a child of his being so intimately connected to so unimportant a personage was inconceivable and he had determined to make his thoughts known forthwith. And so, no sooner had the king been made aware of his lover's arrival at her home in Berkeley Square, had he ordered his carriage prepared and departed from Buckingham House within the hour.

A rousing debate arose between Lady Susan and her lover with alarming speed and could soon be heard amongst guests and servants alike as the king insisted he would not tolerate a nobody placed in a position of such influence and Lady Susan insisted she would accept no-one else and that the king was of course free to name whomever he wished as the child's God-father.

The king blustered and protested in the face of his mistress' determination and, eventually, capitulated as she reminded him that, as their king, he had the power and influence to make Miss Heywood something other than a nobody; that he could give her wealth and influence and that in doing so could ensure their child would never be wanting for material comforts or for affection.

And so it transpired that Charlotte found herself granted an astonishing sum of £200,000 to be invested in the four per-cents and the deeds to Walcot Hall, a modest estate in the county of Cambridgeshire at the Crown's discretion. In a matter of hours, Charlotte's future had been secured such that she would live comfortably for the rest of her life; that even her own future children's grandchildren need never face financial insecurity.

* * *

_London,_

_November 1824_

A month later, Lady Susan was delivered of a baby girl she named Catherine on the morning of November 17th to the delight of her mother and siblings. Charlotte presently found herself seated in one of the many state apartments at Buckingham House surrounded by many of the most influential and respected personages of the realm. The king's sister, the Princess Mary was to stand with her as Catherine's principle god-mother with the Archbishop of York as god-father while the Archbishop of Canterbury oversaw the Christening ceremony itself.

Charlotte took a breath to steel her nerves as those gathered rose to their feet when the King entered, Lady Susan following behind with the infant in her arms. Charlotte joined the smaller group gathered around a basin of blessed holy water as promises of protection and love were exchanged between the parents and child and those chosen as the baby's god-parents. At her turn, Charlotte took Catherine in her arms and repeated the promises of those before her; promises to love, nurture, protect and guide her new god-daughter.


	13. Chapter 13

_Willingden,_

_December 1824_

The Christmas period was rapidly approaching in the Heywood household and every member of the family had presents to purchase, decorations to display and seasons greetings to share with all their neighbours. It was Christmas eve and Charlotte, who had purchased many of her gifts during her time in Town, found herself stringing mistletoe around a scarlet ribbon in the kitchen to construct the kissing bough to be hung within the entrance to their home. Her closest friend and brother's wife, Kate, sat beside her crafting stars from sugar pastillage for the younger children. The men had gone to find the perfect yule log for the fire while Anne and Julia were preparing some eggnog and mulled wine for the next day's dinner celebrations.

Bringing her hand up to stifle a yawn as she strung the last twig of mistletoe to the kissing bough, Charlotte's heart was warmed by the happiness and festivity around her. Setting the bough to the side she silently gave thanks for her family and contentment following the last tumultuous year. The moment of contemplation was abruptly interrupted as a crowd of her brothers followed her father into the kitchen with an impressively sized yule log. Charlotte and her sisters rose from their seats to allow the crowd to pass through and place the log before the hearth in readiness to set it aflame in the morning.

Once the yule log had been set down, the family made their way into the drawing room for the lighting of the yule candle that would burn through the night and welcome Christmas into their home. Their cook, maids, butler and house-keeper shortly brought the evening meal into the dining room while the youngest of Charlotte's siblings carried the candle to be placed upon the table. The servants joined the family on this night every year to celebrate the end of a successful year and give greetings to the next.

As the evening came to a close, and the members of her family drifted to bed, Charlotte returned the candle to the drawing room and set it carefully on a side table at a distance from anything that might catch in the open flame. Charlotte smiled as closed the door behind her and made her way up to her own bedchamber. She was glad to be home indeed.

* * *

_Willingden,_

_March 1825_

Charlotte was pleased to find letters from both Lady Susan and Esther among the morning post as she ventured down to break her fast. Opening the letter from Lady Susan first, Charlotte was delighted to hear of her god-daughter's early adventures into the world and determined to send a letter of her own that very day. From Esther she received an invitation to join her friend on a trip to Edinburgh where Lord Babbington had business matters to handle and would not be able to keep his wife in constant company.

If Charlotte was agreeable they would send a carriage to collect her after Sunday Mass to meet them in Town from where they would travel the rest of the journey in each other's company. Charlotte was pleased to accept the invitation and, on Saturday afternoon, could be found with her sister packing her trunk in preparation for her departure.

* * *

_Edinburgh,_

_April 1825_

The winter snows had begun to thaw shortly before they travelled into Scotland and Charlotte had been amazed by the scenery of the country as they passed through despite the frequent barrenness.

Lord Babbington owned a townhouse in St Andrew Square and Charlotte had enjoyed availing herself of the library there when she was not accompanying Esther on outings or social calls. Though, admittedly, the calls to Esther's acquaintances were few and far between; Esther had not previously accompanied her husband on his business trips and so had very few acquaintances beyond the microcosm of Town.

Lord Babbington had completed his business affairs the previous day and he, Esther and Charlotte had dined with one of Lord Babbington's associates and his wife that evening and the couple had just departed. They were gathered in the drawing room playing a game of speculation before retiring for the evening as they were due to depart back to London the following day. Charlotte would remain with them the week complete before one of Lord Babbington's many carriages returned her to Cambridge. It would be her first time visiting her own estate and she was looking forward to the challenges that no doubt awaited her, not least would be the appointing of a new steward for the rundown estate.

* * *

_Cambridge,_

_April 1825_

Charlotte sat in the sun room of Walcot Hall gazing out upon the gardens to the rear of the house. She had retreated there after several hours hidden away in the study poring over accounts and reports from the past several years. She was still poring over those same documents but found greater comfort in the sun room. Charlotte had rapidly come to the conclusion she was in desperate need of a steward to help her manage her rapidly expanding affairs and was grateful for the suggestions her brother and father had sent her and she was due to meet with the two gentlemen who seemed the most sensible choices that afternoon.

It was as she was drifting further into this line of thought, Fellows, the butler that had come with her new home, ventured into the sun room to inform her that the first of these gentlemen had arrived. Charlotte thanked Fellows, asked that he show Mr Jones into the sun room and set aside her papers but for the final report from the last steward which she intended to show to both gentlemen and discuss with them.

Mr Jones was escorted into the sun room a moment later and Charlotte stood to greet him. "Mr Jones, it's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled as she offered her hand and was somewhat surprised when he shook it briskly rather than pressing a kiss to the back of it as was the custom with gently-bred females.

"A pleasure indeed Lady Heywood." He greeted cheerily in return and settled himself in the seat she gestured to.

"Miss Heywood, Mr Jones, for I am neither married nor a lady by birth. My brother spoke highly of your skills when I wrote him for advice on engaging a new steward for this estate. Perhaps you could tell me what you think of the last report I was able find from the previous steward?"

Mr Jones agreed and they spent the next hour discussing the report and its implications for the estate moving forward. Mr Jones was clearly a very intelligent man but also an equally excitable one. Charlotte was a happy person by nature and delighted in the world around her but Mr Jones' energy had been exhausting even for her. She didn't doubt he was very competent at his job but it would require a steadier personality than her own to engage with the man on a regular basis.

Charlotte felt she had greater success with Mr Martin when he arrived. A slightly older gentleman with a friendly countenance and agreeable manners, Mr Martin was knowledgeable on the matter of estate management and pleased to share what he knew with her. Having spent some time discussing the state of Walcot's finances, grounds and tenants during which Mr Martin had explained in greater depth the causes and consequences of each problem they came across.

Charlotte ended her day confident that Walcot would be left in safe hands when she could not be present herself and had agreed with Mr Martin the terms of his employment; namely, his pay, lodgings and outlined the expectations she had of him. She silently thanked her father and brothers for their guidance on the nature of a steward's role as she settled for a simple evening meal. She was looking forward to enjoying her newfound freedom but would miss spending time with her family as she pleased.


	14. Chapter 14

_London,_

_October 1825_

Charlotte once again found herself settled within the drawing room at Lady Susan Berkley Square residence. She had returned to London to visit Lady Susan and Little Cathy as the family had taken to calling young Catherine. Little Cathy would see her first year complete in just a few short weeks and Charlotte found great delight in helping to plan the celebration. Her other godparents and the King would, of course, attend the event, and though he and Lady Susan had parted as lovers shortly after the babe's birth, they remained on friendly terms. Charlotte knew her friend was vastly relieved not to face the same public shaming the King's wife had so many years previously.

Esther, from whom Charlotte had received word that her family, too, would soon be growing was also to attend, and Charlotte suspected this was more for her own benefit than any other's. Several of Lady Susan's other close friends and some of her family members would likely put in their own token appearances and Charlotte could only hope Little Cathy would not grow up to find herself scorned by these people for being born on the wrong side of the sheets. Charlotte supposed however, that the identity of her father would keep all but the most determined of detractors from her sight or hearing.

Charlotte shook herself from her musing as Lady Susan asked her opinion on colours for the event and directed her attention back to the palettes of fabrics and ribbons that would soon be decorating much of the house. Charlotte's eye was caught by an elegantly patterned jacquard in a beautiful autumn sienna and a delicate cream silk with embroidered gold vines which she pointed out to Lady Susan as the preparations continued.

_Cambridge,_

_January 1826_

The Christmas period was drawing to a close at Walcot Hall where Charlotte and her guests were making the final preparations for their return to London the following day. They would be dining with Sir Lewis, a squire who resided in the modest estate neighbouring Charlotte's own, that evening alongside his own guests to see Christmas ended and a new year begun.

Charlotte made her way down the hall to wait for Lady Susan, Lord Worcester, Esther and Lord Babbington to join her that they might make their way to the carriage and depart for the evening. She did not have to wait long and soon the party were comfortably ensconced in Lord Babbington's spacious carriage, for between them he had the largest, and were pulled through the gates by the team of horses attached.

They arrived at Ufford Hall in a timely manner and the ladies were handed down from the carriage by a cordial footman as another stood by to take their pelisses and gloves while the butler waited to show them to a formal parlour where Sir Lewis and his family awaited their arrival.

Charlotte halted a step into the parlour as she caught sight of Mr and Mrs Parker seated on one of the several chaises scattered throughout the room. Mary Parker had glanced toward the door as she noticed the abrupt movement and her lips parted in shock to see Miss Heywood in her aunt and uncle's parlour, but she smiled at the opportunity to converse with the younger woman she had become so fond of during her stay with her husband and herself in Sanditon.

"Miss Heywood, how lovely it is to see you. You are well? And your family is well too? I must declare it is a surprise to meet you here! I was not aware you were in the area or that you had become acquainted with my Mary's uncle. But it is splendid, utterly splendid." Her husband of course had noticed their new guests too and, as was usual for him, made the first greetings in his typically excitable manner.

Charlotte smiled and stepped further into the room having realised her idling meant her own guests were forced to loiter in hall outside. Sir Lewis had been surprised to learn if her acquaintance with his niece and her husband but quickly stood to greet the rest of his guests who appeared also to know Tom and Mary and so no introductions appeared to be needed.

"Yes, Mr Parker, I am well and so is my family as I hope your's also are? It seems that I shall often be found in the area in the future as I have recently come into the ownership of the estate neighbouring Sir Lewis'. I imagine you must be familiar with Walcot Hall if you have spent any degree of time here?" Charlotte greeted Mr Parker in return but quickly turned to Mary to ask after their children. Mary replied that they were all very well and should be pleased to see Charlotte this evening as the older girls were to join them for dinner before retiring early as children do.

"I am very pleased to know that Walcot shall finally know the love of a tenant after so long a period of abandonment though I confess I do wonder how it came to fall into your own hands? The last news I heard of it was that the estate had been obtained by the crown some years ago." Charlotte smiled as Esther and Lady Susan abandoned their husbands to their conversation with Sir Lewis to join the ladies by the comfort of the fire and upon their settling themselves allowed Lady Susan to impart upon Mrs Parker the knowledge of how Charlotte came to own Walcot Hall.


	15. Chapter 15

_London,_

_May 1826_

Lady Susan had been asked by the King to join the party representing the crown at the coronation of Nicholas I in Moscow and, knowing that there was likely to be little female companionship to be found during the long sea voyage, she had resolved to invite Charlotte to accompany her. And so, she sat at her bureau and began to pen a letter to Charlotte.

* * *

_Cambridge,_

_May 1826_

Charlotte was in the breakfast room with her sisters, Anne and Julia, and her nieces enjoying the morning meal as Fellows delivered to them the morning post. While her sisters and Esther, who had been invited to remain at Walcot until her husband returned from his latest trip to Edinburgh for she wished neither to travel such a distance with a new born infant nor to remain in London at a time where she would be very much lacking in good company, were occupied with the society pages, Charlotte's attention was captured by a letter in Lady Susan's hand.

~•~

_Dearest Charlotte,_

_I have been asked by out generous King to join the party that shall represent the Crown at the coronation of Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia which will take place this coming autumn. Knowing politics as I do, I am quite well aware that there is likely to be very little female companionship throughout a journey such as this. I have decided to extend to you an invitation to join me as my companion and I would be delighted if you should accept my offer. _

_If you will agree to accompany me, I shall send my carriage to collect you on the first day of July and bring you to Town. We shall both need new garments to both keep us warm and to impress other attending dignitaries in the drafty halls of the Russian court in St Petersburg._

_The journey to Moscow will be largely by sea to St Petersburg then overland to Moscow itself. The ship we shall travel on will depart on the first day of August and we will expect to arrive in the city a clear week before the coronation ceremony and intend to remain through September complete. We will therefore be unlikely to return to English soil until late October at the soonest, all being well._

_I dearly hope you will agree to join us for I am certain I should be terribly lonesome without such good friendship and companionship for long a period._

_Ever your friend,_

_Susan_

~•~

Charlotte let her hand, which was holding a loaded fork of kippers, fall back to the table as she processed the contents of this latest correspondence from Lady Susan. Surely her friend could not be serious? It was one thing for Lady Susan to introduce her to some of her own high society acquaintances but to extend an invitation to a royal coronation was surely beyond the realm of possibility.

* * *

_St Petersburg,_

_August 1926_

Charlotte breathed in the sea air, strolling the deck of their ship and observed the growing mass of the Russian coastline as they approached the port at St Petersburg. The air around her was sharp in its chilliness and she found herself glad to have wrapped her shawl around her shoulders for it muted the bite of the wind. They had been at sea almost a month complete and, though Charlotte had long prided herself on the strength of her own constitution, she found herself greatly anticipating setting her feet once more upon steady ground.

"Quite a sight is it not, Charlotte?" Lady Susan asked as she too ventured outside. Charlotte smiled at her friend and wrapped the thick merino shawl tighter around herself in response.

"It is certainly quite unlike any sight one might gaze upon back home." Charlotte agreed as she turned away from the view. Charlotte linked her arm with Lady Susan's as they made to stroll along the deck before they returned to their quarters to prepare to disembark the ship. "Remind me again who else is expected to be among our party? I know not all of them sailed with us."

Lady Susan smiled indulgingly and proceeded to recount once more who from England would be in attendance at the emperor's coronation, among them to be counted one of the King's many brothers, Viscount Granville, a former British Ambassador to Russia, and his wife Viscountess Granville had sailed with them while Lord Cavendish the Duke of Devonshire and his grandson George Howard Viscount Morpeth had journeyed forth some weeks beforehand. They would be joined upon landing by the current ambassador and from there be escorted from the docks to Embassy Square where they would remain overnight before their departure to Moscow the following morning.

Shortly their stroll on the deck came to an end and they retreated to their cabins as the ship entered the docks. Charlotte, Lady Susan and the other passengers were soon gathered to enter the carriages that would convey them into the city behind their luggage which was already being transported to the Ambassadors quarters ahead of them. Charlotte and Lady Susan found Viscountess Granville's character excellent and her company diverting and so while Viscount Granville and the prince discussed the currant military climate on the continent, the ladies spoke of the festivities to come.

It was not long before the carriage rolled through the gates of the Embassy complex; the door was opened by a footman and the gentlemen helped to hand the ladies down. Charlotte could hardly contain her gasp of delight upon viewing the sprawling manor that lay before them upon raising her head once she had stepped down from the carriage and thanked Lord Granville for his assistance.

The servants were gathered in two lines approaching the steps to the front door and the Ambassador could be seen walking past them to greet the new arrivals. Two other gentlemen could be seen waiting on the lower steps, one older the other younger each sharing a slight resemblance to the other.

The manor itself was an elegant construction of pale stone with dark frames surrounding the many windows, a blueing copper roof and large copper doors. The four-storey construction with two wings stretching out from the older central structure it was an impressive sight to behold. But the most striking thing, Charlotte's mind, were the glimpses of meticulously landscape formal gardens and wild meadows to the rear of the house that could be viewed approaching the gates and stretching as far as the eye could see.

The ambassador had come to a stop in front of them and Charlotte shifted her attention to the man who would be their host for the month to come. Once the initial introductions had been made, the party moved through the lines of servants being made aware of the people they ought to approach for various needs throughout their stay and the ladies were introduced to the maids who had been assigned to meet their personal needs.

Finally, they moved to climb the steps and enter the Ambassador's residence and the group, joined by the two waiting gentlemen made their way through the large doors and into a spacious reception hall from which branched off several formal drawing rooms, dining room and a ballroom. They made their way into one of these drawing rooms once their belongings had been taken by the butler and a footman and situated themselves comfortably among the clusters of chairs and chaises.

Charlotte, who had yet to be introduced to the two unknown gentlemen, though she predicted them to be the duke and Viscount Morpeth, settled on a delicate chaise beside Lady Susan as Lady Granville, who was sat in a chair to her left enquired after everyone's health.

"We are all quite well, Daughter," the duke confirmed with a strained smile that only served to add to the severity of his features. "you, however, have been remiss in introducing us to the young lady beside Lady Worcester." He pointed out, quite rightly, and Lady Granville could be observed catching herself at the oversight.

"But of course, Father, Nephew, may I present to you Miss Charlotte Haywood. Miss Heywood, my father, His Grace Lord Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire and my nephew, Lord Howard, Viscount Morpeth."

"You must be exceedingly honoured to be here Miss Heywood." The duke condescended as he sneered her name.

Charlotte smiled serenely, determined not to let the man's sour temperament discomfit her and replied that she certainly was honoured. She could see the Viscount stifle a smirk at her response, seeing it for what it was: a challenge disguised as demure agreement.

"Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Heywood. This whole ordeal shall be much pleasanter, I'm sure, knowing that we are not to be surrounded entirely by dull curmudgeons! Do you not agree?"

"I am certain it shall be pleasant regardless of curmudgeons and I cannot claim to know if any of the present company are indeed dull curmudgeons." Charlotte answered without committing to one view or another, avoiding giving offence and she knew that Lady Susan would be smiling at her tact. Which, admittedly, was a newly learnt skill for Charlotte and one which she still found challenging to use.

~•~

The next morning found the party rising earlier than was usually their wont and making ready to depart on the rest of their journey to Moscow. The journey by carriage was anticipated to take some two weeks and all were glad of their foresight in ensuring packing of numerous warm articles of clothing and fur-lined outer garments.


	16. Chapter 16

_Moscow,_

_3rd September 1826_

Two weeks later Charlotte could be found seated once more in one of the Ambassador's carriages, this time being conveyed to the Cathedral of the Dormition where they would shortly be witnessing the coronation of Tsar Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia. The order of their entrance and seating had been determined in the previous days by the Ambassador's staff and shared with them that very morning before their departure. The prince and the Ambassador's wife would lead the party followed by the ambassador with his daughter, behind them the duke would escort Lady Susan. Viscount Morpeth would escort Charlotte at the rear preceded by Lord and Lady Granville.

They had arrived in the city but two days previously, having made good time travelling from St. Petersburg. The Emperor himself and his party had arrived the previous morning and the Ambassador, Prince and Duke had been received by the royal family in the late afternoon before returning to the Ambassador's residence for the evening meal.

Their journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow had been uneventful for the most part though there had been a momentary scare when the Duke had started to choke on his bread in one of the many Inns they had stopped at on their way. Charlotte had become better acquainted with her company and even the Duke, who clearly still thought her lacking and would no doubt continue to do so, had been civil and polite.

She had grown closer to Lady Granville who was a grounded and sensible woman; her husband Lord Granville seemed more reserved by nature and was a man of few words. Charlotte discovered she delighted in the company of Viscount Morpeth who had a shrewd wit and frequently engaged in a mocking sort of humour with all his companions and yet also participated in serious discussions on politics, agriculture and commerce. The Ambassador's wife and daughter were similar in looks and vastly different in character. Where the elder was stern and sanctimonious, the younger was lively and outgoing and was sure to make friends wherever she went.

The distance from the Ambassador's residence to the cathedral was a short one and as they were not confined to the carriage for long. The ladies were handed down by the gentlemen and the party made their way into the building behind the Russian Court. They were to be seated to the right and three rows back from the platform upon which the ceremony would be conducted allowing them an adequate view of the proceedings.

They had not been seated long when the organs rose to life, playing the processional march and the imperial family, state figures and the Patriarch of Russia entered the cathedral and religious icons were blessed as they went. All those attending the coronation had risen and only returned to their seats at the Patriarch and imperial family ascended the platform steps and they were bid to do so.

The ceremony began with the singing of psalms and the recitation of biblical passages and prayers. This was followed by the crowning of the Tsar. The Patriarch presented the Imperial Crown to Nicholas I who placed this upon his head and a third prayer was spoken. The Emperor was then presented with the sceptre and orb and a fourth prayer was spoken.

The newly crowned Emperor of Russia sat upon the throne with crown on head and orb and sceptre in hand and Charlotte thought she had never seen such a sight. This moment was shortly usurped however as Nicholas I was divested of the orb and sceptre as his consort Alexandra Feodorovna knelt at his feet to be crowned Empress by her husband. The Tsar briefly placed the Imperial Crown upon her head before she was given the Tsaritsa's Imperial Crown, a smaller and more delicate construction than the Tsar's own. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna rose as the chain of the Order of St Andrew was placed around her neck and a purple mantle draped over her shoulders.

They made a striking pair, sat together in full imperial regalia; the Emperor a strong and handsome man and the Empress, though thin and pale was resplendent with beauty in that moment. The ceremony continued with many prayers for the longevity and health of the Emperor and Empress and the anointing during which the coupled made oaths to serve and protect the people of the Russian Empire.

The Service concluded with the reading of prayers after holy communion and the paying of homage to the Tsar from the Empress, the dowager Empress and other members of state and significant guests. It was here, that the Ambassador and Prince played their roles as they made promises of continued friendship between their nations.

After the coronation ceremony and service concluded and the imperial family and members of state began the return procession from the cathedral to the Kremlin Palace, Charlotte's party remained for a time to take holy communion themselves before returning once more to the Ambassador's residence to bathe after the five-hour ceremony and to change for the coronation banquet that evening. Only the Ambassador's family and the Prince were permitted to attend the banquet, and only the Ambassador would be received by the Tsar to share a toast to his new reign. The rest of the party, however, had been invited to enjoy their evening meal with several members of the Russian court with whom Lord Granville had enjoyed close friendship during his own tenure as the British Ambassador to Russia.


	17. Chapter 17

_Moscow,_

_4th September 1826_

Charlotte woke the next morning with aching feet and rather mussed hair. They had returned from the coronation celebration in the early hours of the morning and Charlotte had dismissed her maid as soon as she had been stripped of her gown and proceeded to stumble into bed where she slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky the next day. It was certainly long past time to break her fast but she could not claim she was sorry for it; she had, after all, partaken of a great many new dishes the previous evening and even now her stomach remained sated.

Charlotte turned her head to the light that had woken her from her slumber and squinted to make out the silhouette before her windows. As her senses sharpened and she roused to full wakefulness, Charlotte recognised her maid and dropped her back to her pillows, reluctant to move from under her sheets and read herself for the day.

Her maid, a girl a few years younger than Charlotte by the name of Alyona, merely smiled sweetly at her mistress' reluctance and went about preparing the bath she was sure to be grateful for. Charlotte murmured sleepily and rolled onto her back, sat up and gave a large yawn before picking up the hot tea that had been placed upon the table beside her bed.

Taking a sip of the lightly spiced tea, she considered what she would wear that day. She knew that she, Lady Susan, Lady Granville and Miss Patricia Disbrowe, the ambassador's daughter, had made plans to tour some of the city's park and public parades so Charlotte determined something warm that allowed a range of movement would surely be practical.

"You bath now. I helps you wash?" Alyona asked Charlotte who thanked the girl and moved into the dressing room to complete her morning ablutions. Alyona rinsed Charlotte's hair with a Rose and honey soap and helped massage scented oils into her skin when she stepped out of the tub before towelling her dry with a large linen cloth. Charlotte slipped into a light robe as she sat at the vanity in the dressing room and allowed Alyona to pin her hair up in a simple style.

"Miss look much pretty." Alyona complimented when she finished Charlotte's hair and moved to clean up the cloths and oils and soaps as Charlotte slipped into her chemise and stockings. Alyona then helped Charlotte into her morning dress, a white, empire waisted gown with a simple blue brocade trim at the neckline, sleeves and hem and tiny flower clusters embroidered into a sheer top-layer of the skirts. This would be covered by a comforting, fur-lined pelisse in teal with black edging for their outing that afternoon.

By the time Charlotte had dressed for the day, it was approaching the first hour past noon and the household was gathering in the morning room for a light afternoon repast before the ladies ventured outside and the gentlemen attended to business. Charlotte greeted her hosts and the other guests at the ambassador's residence as she sat at the table and began to butter a scone.

"You rose late today Miss Heywood, is all well?" Lady Granville enquired after Charlotte's health with a friendly smile,

"I am quite well, Ma'am, thank you. It is only that I am not accustomed to such late hours and was overtired after the excitement of yesterday." Charlotte returned the Countess' smile with one of her own and reassured the lady that she was in the best of health. Charlotte would have been quite disappointed to have to remain within the house on such a beautiful day when she could be out walking in good company.

Shortly the party had consumed their luncheon and the gentlemen had bid farewell to the ladies as they departed to meetings or the library to attend to their affairs. Only Lord Granville and Viscount Morpeth remained and they quickly made known their intention to accompany the ladies around the nearby parks and squares. Lord Granville also offered his services in touring them around the old city the next day.

The ladies were sorry to have decline this generous offer for plans had already been made to explore the shopping districts and bazaars the following afternoon but they would welcome a tour perhaps the day after the morrow. Lord Granville acquiesced to this and so their plans were set.

Viscount Morpeth, who truly had very little affairs of his own that needed addressing during their time her declared that he should be happy to escort the ladies and provide protection on any outing they wished.

"After all, I shall find myself at odds and ends in no time at all, I am certain, and should be much obliged to be granted something useful to do! What say you Miss Heywood, Miss Disbrowe? Will you allow me to act as your protector in this terrible place?" Charlotte and Miss Disbrowe laughed and agreed to allow him the honour the cheerfully.

"And do we not warrant your care, Nephew?" Queried Lady Granville archly with a conspiring look to Lady Susan. Her nephew smiled and teasingly replied.

"Ah but I wouldn't dare to dream of suggesting you needed anyone but yourself for protection aunt. And has not my uncle also offered assistance to our lovely ladies? I'm certain Lady Susan must surely prefer the company of her peers than a tiresome lordling such as myself!" All the ladies smiled at this defiance and Lady Granville dropped her austere charade to sigh exasperatedly at her nephew.

And so, the ladies found themselves venturing out of the ambassador's manor house and into the streets of Moscow. Lady Susan and Lady Granville on the arms of the latter's husband, Charlotte accompanied by the Viscount and Miss Disbrowe with her mother, who had decided at the final moment to join her daughter and guests.

The party decided to first explore the Izmaylovo Park where they could view the Pokhorovoskiy Cathedral, though it splendour was marred by the damage it sustained during Napoleon's invasion of the city more than a decade previously and had yet to be restored to its former magnificence. There they also spied the Ceremonial Gate and Bridge Tower through the grove of trees that surrounded the cathedral.

Charlotte was treated to numerous pieces of history about the Russian empire by the Viscount during their walks and came to learn more of the culture of Russia than she had ever anticipated knowing. The daylight was slowly starting to fade as they approached one of the many great lakes and ponds and the Viscount was regaling Charlotte and Miss Disbrowe with a story of Peter the Great learning to sail in the very lakes they had toured that day when an excellent though came to him.

"Miss Heywood, would you not think it a great diversion to secure one of these sail boats for a time and venture out into the great lake itself? The sunset would surely be a sight to rival any other from such a vantage?" he suggested and Charlotte was keen to agree to the excursion. Lady Disbrowe and her daughter declined to join them claiming their own dislike of the motion of a boat on water would diminish their enjoyment. Lady Susan and Lord Granville also chose to remain ashore when the idea was put to them but Lady Granville insisted she would like to see the sun as set below the trees and reflected upon the water. And besides, the pair could not be allowed to go out in the boat alone for such a thing was improper.

Some minutes later saw the three in a small row-boat drifting further out into the lake. The Viscount rowed them further out with strong, steady strokes of the paddles in the water. Shortly they drifted to a stop as he turned to boat around to face the setting sun. Charlotte could just make out the group that had remained behind and waved to them with an irrepressible smile before she too turned to observe as the sun began to dip below the treeline.

The sky was riot of colours; a deepening indigo above their heads fading to a lovely dark lavender the closer it came to the sun. Around the sun itself were fiery yellows, oranges and glowing reds that radiated out from the bright circle of light and reflected off the scattered clouds. It made for a truly remarkable sight and Charlotte would not forget it for as long as she lived.

It was not long before the sun had sunk below the trees and the park was cast in shadow. The Viscount swiftly rowed the group back to the shore and helped the ladies step off the boat. Lady Granville was sure-footed and was shortly back at her husband's side. Charlotte, however, was unfortunate to place her foot in a patch of water and slipped as she lifted her other foot to step onto the deck sending her crashing into Viscount Morpeth and almost knocking them both to the ground. Viscount Morpeth had quick reflexes and was able to catch the falling woman and set her safely down.

"How lucky I was to catch you Miss Haywood," The Viscount teased as he removed his arms from her waist. "had I not, we might both have become quite soaked just now. You should be more careful." He finished as he presented his arm to escort her back the rest of their party. Charlotte blushed and stuttered out an embarrassed apology for poor balance. He laughed at this and assured her he was not truly scolding her.

Lady Susan and Lady Granville, who had observed this exchange from the safety of walkway, smiled and shared a conspiring look that promised a private discussion between the two ladies.


	18. Chapter 18

_Moscow,_

_September, 1826_

The rest of their time in the city passed similarly with walks through parks, shopping and visits to and from members of Russian society. They had attended balls and galas and many dinner parties, each more extravagant than the last.

On their second day they had, indeed, visited the shopping districts and the grand bazaar as planned. They had been accompanied again by the Viscount, who had purchased for each of them a delicately crafted set of matryoshka dolls from a market vendor. The tour offered by Lord Granville had been delightful and they had visited many of the local wonders enjoyed by the people of Moscow, poor and wealthy alike.

For Lady Susan and Lady Granville, the most memorable moment had come when they finally had the opportunity to speak privately about the events at Izmaylovo Park during their first week in the city.

* * *

_Moscow_

_13th September_

_Lady Granville strode into the music room in search of new sheet music for the pianoforte in the parlour and was pleased to find Lady Susan perusing the music herself. Lady Granville paused on the threshold with a smile and lightly rapped her knuckles against the panels of the door. Lady Susan started in surprise, dropping the booklet in her hands to the floor as she turned to the door. _

_"Oh, Harriet, I had expected you to have joined Charlotte and Miss Disbrowe on their walk?" She said as she raised a hand to her chest._

_"I had thought to but yesterday's weather has left the ground rather damp. With my boots drying after the soaking they received it did not seem advisable to go out when I have no other suitable footwear. Susan, I'm glad to finally catch a private moment with you. I think we need to address the attachment developing between my nephew and your young friend, Miss Heywood." Lady Granville declared as she moved further into the room._

_"And I suppose you have something to say about it?" Lady Susan enquired._

_"I do believe your friend Miss Heywood might just make a perfect match for my nephew. But you had already considered that, hadn't you Susan?" Lady Granville suggested with a scheming smile as she settled herself onto a chaise by a window overlooking the gardens._

_"I must confess I did and I am pleased to hear my suspicions that you would agree with me confirmed. I invited her to accompany me for the express purpose of encouraging it." Lady Susan disclosed._

_"But they had not been introduced before your arrival. How could you have possibly suspected they would suit?" The countess arched an eyebrow in disbelief._

_Lady Susan smiled conspiringly. "They didn't need to have met to know that they could make a lovely pair. I've known you and Little G since we were all children, Harriet. And I know young George's character well enough to see the potential for him and Charlotte to be well-suited."_

_Lady Granville smiled in return and dipped her head in agreement. She supposed Lady Susan was right; indeed she had already resolved to encourage her nephew's attachment to Miss Heywood and decided to share this with Lady Susan. "I'm sure Georgiana would agree with us and Lord Howard would agree with anything his wife thinks. The challenge will be getting my father to believe it wouldn't be a terrible crime for a lady not born to our circles to marry into our family." Lady Granville considered._

_Lady Susan pondered this. "Surely the Duke is aware that he truly has no influence on your nephew's choice of bride?" she posed._

_"Well I should imagine he knows it though I would not believe him inclined to quietly accept it. He'd pour every effort into making them miserable!" She despaired._

_"Then we must find ourselves called to divert his interest, dearest. Now shall we go down to luncheon?" Lady Susan reassured her friend and the pair departed the music room in favour of the parlour for the partaking of the midday meal._

* * *

_Moscow_

_September, 1826_

Their stay in Moscow was now drawing to a close and much of the party would begin the return to London in a matter of days. Only the ambassador, the duke and Viscount Morpeth would remain; and the Viscount then only because the Duke's health required him to be always with some companion or another. They would yet remain for another three weeks complete before journeying home.

Charlotte was in the process of packing her trunks with Alyona as she mused over the events of their visit to Russia and the new friendships she had formed. Her acquaintance with Lady Granville had grown and developed into a close bond such as she shared with Lady Susan and she had found an enduring and confiding friend in Patricia who had sworn to maintain a faithful correspondence. Even Lady Disbrowe had grown on Charlotte and had proven herself a woman of sense and frankness.

The gentlemen, she had to confess, were still largely an unknown element to her. The prince was as she expected him to be; a reserved man of strong morals and disinclined to entertain foolishness and she found the Duke to be much the same in manner though perhaps a little less inclined to project an otherwise agreeable temperament. The ambassador and Lord Granville seemed similar in character and, it seemed, could always be depended upon to offer their services. In each of these men, however, Charlotte had caught glimmers of the greater depths of their being but knew not what to make of such things.

Viscount Morpeth was another matter entirely. Though she felt she had come to know the gentleman's character tolerably well these past weeks, he would always make some comment or action that threw all she thought she knew into question and left her floundering to make heads or tails of his meaning and purpose. He was light-hearted and witty and generous with not only his resources but also of himself; of his time and energy and attention. And yet he was also serious, and intelligent and able to debate in some detail on a great many topics, many of which she held only a basic understanding in herself.

And of course, she would be a fool to claim she was ignorant of his good looks. His dirty hair that, seemingly despite his best efforts, defied all ideals of fashion and fell in tussled locks about his ears and neck lent him a dangerous sort of air when considered with the depths of dark eyes. And yet the aristocratic and defined lines of face and the way his cheeks dimpled when he smiled and his eyes glowed most often with mischief softened all this and spoke more to his character.

He was tall and lithe and his movements ever purposeful with a power that had surprised her initially for his form was more slender than broad. Always dressed with impeccable taste though perhaps not always in the first fashion, he never seemed to have the slightest hesitation in getting involved in the most gruelling and dirty of deeds. This was evidenced by his supporting of the groomsmen when their carriage had once found itself caught in a gap between the cobbles of the road and needed to be pushed out.

Yes, Charlotte thought, he was a fine man indeed and she was glad and proud to claim him amongst her acquaintance. Perhaps, even, something more significant than that, for though she was not certain what to make of it, she had certainly noticed his increasing attentions to her. It would remain to be seen what may come of his regard for she would be returning to St Petersburg and sailing for London the very next morning while the Viscount remained behind.

Charlotte was torn from her musings as Alyona returned to the bedchamber at that moment with several of Charlotte's gowns draped over her arms to be folded and packed with care into her trunks. Alyona would also be returning with Charlotte to continue serving as her personal maid upon their return to England; she had been employed by the Ambassador's household for the express purpose of serving one of the ladies visiting for the coronation and would otherwise have found herself dismissed from further service with their departure. Charlotte had grown fond of the older woman these past weeks and had determined she should very much like Alyona to continue as her maid; and her new financial independence allowed her to see this wish come to fruition.

Charlotte was presently focused on selecting a wardrobe to be placed into a trunk that would be unloaded and reloaded each night on their journey back to St Petersburg which was to hold all her most intimate and necessary garments. She had already determined a small selection of day dresses to be stored withing this trunk for three days they would spend in the great city as the ship they would travel on restocked on supplies and prepared once more for departure. Her difficulty now was choosing which traveling gown to wear on the morrow for the first day of their journey; she wished to leave as memorable impression on the viscount at their parting as she had seemingly on their first introduction for she had grown ever more fond of his company and should hate to embarrass herself once more.

Eventually, with a little guidance from Alyona, who had observed her mistress' indecision, Charlotte settled on simple cream day dress with a single wide ribbon around the waistline and a lace border at the neckline, hem and sleeves. This would later be covered by a dark grey spencer and a warm travelling cloak of deep green velvet.

It was not long after this that the sun began to fade from the sky and the candles were lit throughout the house. Charlotte had dressed for dinner in an evening gown of dark golden yellow silk with a white lace overlay and she ventured downstairs with a muslin shawl draped over her shoulders. She was met at the bottom of the staircase by Lord and Lady Granville and Viscount Morpeth whom she greeted with a smile and small curtsy before accepting the Viscount's arm as he offered to lead her in to dinner.

The meal they shared that night was a lively one, filled with the sharing of stories of their time here, speculation of what may await them when they returned home and promises to maintain correspondence with each other. Charlotte gave Miss Disbrowe her direction for her family home in Willingden and Walcot Hall, but also for her brother's residence in town where she would be visiting until they departed to Willingden for Christmas. Though she would miss her present company when they departed in the morning, Charlotte was eager to see her family again for by the time they would be reunited three months would have passed.

And she was not so eager to remain distant from them that she could be convinced accept the invitation from the Ambassador and Lady Disbrowe to remain a little longer and travel back with the Duke and Viscount, despite great effort to persuade her from both her friend and Lord Morpeth. Charlotte was certain this invitation was at their daughter's behest for Miss Disbrowe had confided in her that she was very much wanting for the company of other girls of her own age. Which was not to say that there was not an abundance of other young ladies within the echelons of the Russian Court; only there was such a divide in the values and attitudes of her new society that the making of friends had proven unusually difficult.

And so it was that the next morning when Charlotte awoke her mind was much occupied by joyous thoughts of finally returning home to all that was familiar and good; yet, even in her happiness, these were tempered by more sorrowful wonderings on the future of the friendships she had forged in this distant place.


	19. Chapter 19

_London,_

_November 1826_

The weeks passed quickly upon Charlotte's arrival back in England and soon it felt as though no time at all had passed when she found herself in a carriage once more, this time returning to London to engage in the Season. They had docked at the Thames a short distance from the City proper in late October whereupon they were greeted by a mass of carriages and carts which would convey them and their belongings onward to Town.

She had been delivered to her brother's house where she was greeted by her brother, his daughter and his new wife whom he had married just days before she departed three months previously. Charlotte had spent some weeks in Town with her brother and his family and had found great enjoyment in becoming better acquainted with her new sister. Amongst this she spent some time wondering Bond Street and Oxford Street and perusing the wares within some on the warehouses in the business districts searching for Christmas presents for her family and friends.

For some of her family members, particularly her nieces and nephews and youngest siblings, she had brought back with her a delightful collection of children's toys and figurines and other knickknacks and accessories from Moscow and St Petersburg. She had also purchased several lengths of dyed and painted silks for the oldest of her sisters. It was her brothers and friends she browsed for upon her return to her beloved home country. Eventually she settled on a collection of agricultural volumes from Hatchards for her father; and for her mother she had had the good fortune to spy a dusty copy of Persuasion tucked away in the back shelves.

For her brother, Justin, and his family she purchased a plain but very well-crafted Pall-Mall set for she knew her rapidly growing niece delighted in moving the balls as her aunts and uncles played the game. For her eldest brother and her oldest friend, she had purchased a handsome pair of silver and onyx trinket boxes for the keeping of rings and other small things. Charlotte also went with Alyona to purchase oranges, packets of versatile cotton seconds, healing salves and some of the more difficult to acquire herbs and spices for distribution among her father's tenants in Willingden and her own at Walcot Hall.

So, her time in London quickly drew to a close and Charlotte, her brother and his family left the smog of London behind for the clearer skies and open fields of the Surrey countryside. The two-day carriage journey passed in good cheer and anticipation for all within and they were greeted enthusiastically by their large family when they eventually arrived at their parent's modest estate just as the winter snows began in earnest.

* * *

The winter of 1826 was a cold one and the family could most often be found beside the fires throughout the house. Though the younger members of the family did frequently venture outside to enjoy the snows that had fallen strong that year and some weeks earlier than was usual. They crafted snowy statues in the gardens and trampled puddles throughout the back rooms of Charlotte's childhood home and a good time was had by all. That Christmas was, as it often was, a merry affair for the expansive Heywood family.

When the time came to unwrap presents, Charlotte was gratified by the excitement of her younger siblings, nieces and nephews upon receiving the gifts she had brought them from so far away a place as Russia. Her mother and father and older siblings had thanked her effusively for her thoughtfulness in choosing their own presents and Charlotte had delighted in their pleasure. From her family she had received in turn an assortment of things; a lovely pair of kid gloves from her parents and a thick woollen shawl from Justin and his family to a delicately painted tea set from Anna and Julia and a rather more crudely carved set of chess pieces from her younger brothers upon which had been painted some quite gruesome faces by her youngest sisters.

Throughout the days of Christmas, Charlotte and her sisters visited their father's tenants, delivering the baskets of items Charlotte had purchased in London and which she would also be delivering to her own tenants come the new year. How strange that still sounded, having her own tenants. It was not long before her time with her family drew to an end yet again and she departed for Walcot Hall with Anne and Justin and their families, for it was not seemly for her be alone, unaccompanied and unprotected, away from her family even in a home that was now entirely her own.

They remained at Walcot Hall throughout much of January and February complete. She was grateful for her brother's presence for he spent a great deal of his visit in discussion with herself and Mr Martin, her steward, over the changes that had been implemented at the estate since entering her employ. Charlotte, of course, was aware of these changes and improvements, but her brother was better placed to evaluate their benefit and efficiency and to identify where further work and investment was needed.

When not handling the estates affairs with her brother or overseeing the management of the household with her housekeeper and sister's guidance, Charlotte spent her time conversing with her sisters, walking through the estate's parkland and working her way through the contents of the very well-stocked library. It was not long before the chill of winter gave way to the gentle breezes and re-emerging sunshine of spring. As February rolled into March, Charlotte bade farewell to her sister as they left Walcot Hall behind; Anne and her daughter to return home to Surrey while Charlotte and her brother and his family returned once more to the busy streets of London.

Upon arriving back in their nation's capital where Charlotte would, this time, be residing with her brother for the duration of the season, though much of her time would undoubtedly be spent in Lady Susan's company, they resolved to settle themselves and spend some days in only their own company before their activities began in earnest.

* * *

By mid-March the season had begun in earnest and Charlotte and her sister-in-law, Madelaine, could, more often than not, be found gracing the drawing rooms of their acquaintances in Town. Their mornings were often spent strolling in Hyde park, though they rarely rode for Charlotte's seat with a side-saddle was not so strong as when she sat astride and it would not be proper to seen so in public. Their evenings were filled with trips to the theatre or dances or dinner parties held by their circle of friends.

It was on a Wednesday afternoon during what one might refer to as acceptable visiting hours, that Charlotte and Madelaine ventured into a more fashionable part of Town to call upon Lady Susan at Berkeley Square. Upon admittance through the front door and their escort to the drawing room by the butler, they found the lady of the house engaged in conversation with three other ladies; two elder and the last appearing perhaps a few years younger than themselves.

Charlotte was quick to recognise one of the ladies as Lady Granville but could not claim to be acquainted with those that remained. She was saved from the awkwardness of intruding upon a visit by those not of her own acquaintance by Lady Susan who greeted her cheerfully, ushered her new guests into the room and requested an introduction from Charlotte to the other woman who had accompanied her.

"Oh, yes of course! This is my brother's wife, Mrs Madelaine Heywood. Sister, may I introduce you to Lady Susan Worcester, Marchioness of Worcester. And the lady by the window is Lady Granville, Viscountess Granville whose acquaintance I made in Russia though I cannot claim to know the other ladies present." Charlotte obliged, making the introduction between the ladies she knew.

Madelaine dipped her head serenely in greeting to the two ladies. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances Lady Worcester, Lady Granville."

Lady Susan waved aside the pleasantry and assured her that they were all friends here. "Susan will do well enough, child, though if you prefer it I am willing to tolerate Lady Susan for politeness' sake. Now I do believe you have yet to become acquainted with the other ladies. May I introduce to you, Lady Howard, the Countess of Carlisle, and Miss Susan Levson-Gower, Lady Granville's daughter. Ladies, Miss Charlotte Heywood of Walcot Hall and Mrs Madelaine Heywood, wife to Mr Justin Heywood of Willingden who is Miss Heywood's brother."

"Well now that that tedious business is out of the way, Miss Heywood, it is quite lovely to see you again. I hope you and your family have all been well? I remember correctly your eldest brother and his wife must have welcomed their newest babe into the family now." Lady Granville enthused as she set down her teacup in favour of turning to converse with the newcomers.

"Oh, yes, baby Lucy was born in the new year and she is a complete delight to us all! Any you ma'am? Your family are all in good health also?"

"Oh yes, quite well, all of us. I was saying to my dear sister just now that our spirits are all bolstered to be together once more after such long absences. My father and nephew, whom you have met, were waylaid some several weeks longer in St Petersburg as the waters were not safe to sail on. They did not return until Yule had passed us by!" The Viscountess disclosed with emotion. Charlotte smiled understandingly and turned to Miss Levson-Gower who seemed a quite sort and not inclined to speak without invitation.

"I should image, Miss Levson-Gower, that you are happy to have your parents home with you again? I have always found for myself that, though I enjoy my independence from my own family, I appreciate them all the more after time away from them."

Miss Levson-Gower smiled at the older girl's attempt to include her. "Yes, Miss Heywood, I am glad to be with them again for I missed my mother and father sorely while they were gone. And please do simply call me Susan; it is surely tiresome to be always wrapping one's tongue around 'Miss Levson-Gower'."

Charlotte acquiesced to this request and was about enquire if Susan was enjoying her time in Town and how she liked the entertainments when Lady Howard asked after her acquaintance with her son.

"I Suppose, Miss Heywood, that you must be the young woman my son paid so much attention to during his trip with our father. I find myself wondering what you made of him? Which is to say, away from a society that is so very regimented in its expectations of young ladies and gentlemen."

Charlotte pondered this question for a moment before she responded with her impression of Lord Morpeth. "He was everything that was gentlemanly Ma'am. I suppose he may have been freer with his words than might have been the case had we been introduced in Town. But then, it seems unlikely that we would have ever made each other's acquaintance otherwise so I cannot speak to what might have been. I find I can only tell you that his company was lively and manners very pleasing."

"Then I am pleased to be assured that he did not forget himself, Miss Heywood. I thank you for humouring me." Lady Howard acknowledge with a smile. It was a sly, secret sort of smile that only those who knew her well would be able to interpret as reflecting the scheme that was surely developing in her mind.

The rest of their visit passed in friendly conversation and soon they risked appearing rude for the length of their call, and so with parting farewells and promises to call again, Charlotte and Madelaine left Berkeley square and it's residents behind, making their way back to her brother's home near Regent's Park.


	20. Chapter 20

Less than a week after her call on Lady Susan, Charlotte was surprised to find among her post an invitation to a dinner party to be hosted by Lady Granville at the week's end. She excitedly shared this news with her brother and sister, for they too had been included in the invitation and quickly sent a note with their acceptance to the address indicated.

After browsing the contents Madelaine's wardrobe, following a outcry of panic at not have anything nearly suitable for such an event, Charlotte and Alyona rapidly determined that a new gown would have to commissioned or an old one re-trimmed. An excursion to Madelaine's modiste was summarily planned and executed with remarkable efficiency as a result of the combined efforts of all three women. Three short days later Madelaine had acquired a splendid new evening gown of lively blue embroidered velvet. It would be accompanied later that evening by a cream pair of satin gloves and matching slippers.

When the ladies descended the stairs to depart they were resplendent in their finery. Madelaine's new gown was further complimented by a delicate cream shawl and her hair was coiled into a bun at the nape of her neck and a small number of pearly pins scattered throughout. Charlotte was encased in a gown of lilac silk and white lace. On her hands she wore ivory silk gloves and the upswept braids of her hair were adorned by amethyst and pearl pins in the shape of lilac flowers which had been a gift to her from her parents on her first and twentieth birthday. Around her neck she wore an amethyst cross on a silver chain while her ears and wrists went undecorated.

The three members of the Heywood party bid good evening to Reignette, Justin's daughter, who had been determined all day that she would remain awake long enough to see her step-mother and favourite aunt in their pretty new dresses. Charlotte and Madelaine were swiftly handed into the carriage by their brother and husband respectively and soon were on their way to St James' Square where Lord and Lady Granville kept their home when in Town.

On the approach to St James' Square they passed many fine carriages bearing the arms of old and well-established families that grew finer and more powerful the further they ventured into the most fashionable parts of London's residential areas. Mayfair and it's surrounds were where the highest tiers of the upper crust came out to play during the summer months each years while parliament sat in session.

Upon their arrival at Ormond House, they were greeted by the Viscount's Butler and shown to an upstairs drawing room where the guests were gathered. They were announced with all the pomp and circumstance that the butler of a peer may be expected to grant the children of a lowly gentleman and thus left to their own devices.

It was fortunate that Lady Granville had noticed them enter before the butler declared their presence and politely excused herself to greet the newcomers and make the necessary introductions to her other guests. As the time to pair for supper was fast approaching, Lady Granville made a circuit of the room with her unknown guests with a sensitivity and efficiency that surprised no-one.

Lady Granville, with the help of her sister and friend, had ensured that her guests were situated in such a way on the societal hierarchy as to facilitate Charlotte's introduction to the highest circles of society such as it would be conducted with aplomb and ease. She only hoped her nephew would not be late for she had planned to seat the pair together and he appeared to be timing his arrival poorly.

Eventually the gentleman in question did appear and was struck quite suddenly with his hostess' displeasure at his lateness. That lady's butler was not granted even the opportunity to announce him when his aunt corralled him over a cluster of her guests who were stood by the fire amongst whom he could spy his cousin and uncle. As Lord Morpeth and Lady Granville manoeuvred around her other guests, he thought he caught a glimpse of the very lady who had so acutely attracted his interest.

Charlotte turned and smiled at her recognition of the latest addition the party gathered throughout the room. Lord Morpeth made a striking figure in his dark eveningwear as he cut through the room with his aunt on his arm. And cut through the room they did given Lady Granville's single-minded determination and the Viscount's height; he stood a clear half head taller than any other gentleman she saw.

"Miss Heywood, this is a surprise!" The viscount exclaimed, a please smile gracing his features.

"Truly? I had supposed you might have already been aware Lady Granville had extended an invitation to us to attend this evening." Charlotte pondered and was surprised at his surprise.

"I am afraid my aunt did not think to share that news." He murmured with a brief exasperated glance in that lady's direction. Lady Granville only deigned to smile serenely back at him. "Won't you introduce me to your companions?" he asked, his tone lightening.

"I will if it would please you I shall introduce you to them. Brother, Sister, may I introduce to you Lord Morpeth, the Viscount Morpeth. My Lord, the gentleman is my brother, Mr Justin Heywood, and the lady is his wife, Mrs Justin Heywood." The Viscount bowed to the new members of his acquaintance and was granted a bow and curtsey in turn from them. The group, who were shortly abandoned by Lady Granville, spent the remainder of the time before dinner in convivial conversation and, when it was announced that the time to descend for the evening meal, Charlotte was escorted downstairs by the Viscount.

Dinner itself was an rather more intimate affair than Charlotte had expected and, as she was led to her seat where the Viscount pulled her chair out for her, she decided she quite preferred such an atmosphere than the likes of the more formal dinner parties she had previously attended with Lady Susan.

Her conversation partners throughout the meal were Lord Morpeth who was seated to her right and a Mr Hugh Fitzwilliam to her left and each gentleman engaged her in varied conversation on the goings on of the _beau monde_ and the attractions to be had in Town throughout. Mr Fitzwilliam spoke to her a little of his studies but declined to share the intricacies of his profession as a lawyer and bestowed upon her great interest in her stories of Moscow and her family and he Laughed uproariously at the telling of her initial introduction to Lady Susan which had sparked the growth in her circle of acquaintances in recent years. She was most pleasantly engaged.

When the meal ended and the ladies split from the gentlemen to retreat once more to the drawing room, Charlotte was sorry to leave behind the company of her dinner partners. But companionship that brought her equal enjoyment was to be found amongst the ladies and so she abandoned them to their port and cigars quite willingly. In this time there conversations aplenty to be had amongst the women on many a trivial topic, and amongst the more sensible ladies some quite profound discussions on politics and economics and it startled Charlotte to discover the influence these ladies exerted on their lords and husbands.

Such conversations drifted off as the gentlemen could be heard making their way up the stair to re-join the rest of the company for further conversive engagement to while away what remained of the evening. Charlotte, who had been joined among a cluster of chairs by a window by her sister and Miss Susan, found herself rapidly engaged in discursive topics of one nature or another by Lord Granville and Lord Morpeth. While the former of the pair was whisked away by his wife as her brother made his way to over to his wife, the latter was only too happy for his attention to be monopolised by the young lady who was very quickly becoming one of the most dearly held amongst his all his many friends and acquaintances.

When, eventually, the time came for the guests who were not family to depart homeward bound, the Heywood party bid farewell to their hosts who had extracted a promise from the group to accompany them to Astley's Amphitheatre the next week and took their leave. Charlotte had enjoyed the evening immensely and, as she prepared for bed, contemplated what could possibly have been the Viscountess' intention in introducing a mere gentleman's daughter such as herself to so numerous a group of highly-regarded society ladies. But, regardless of her present confusion, Charlotte had already begun to form what would truly prove to be a lasting bond of friendship in the lady's daughter and she welcomed the chance to know Miss Levson-Gower better.

* * *

The following afternoon Charlotte was surprised to learn that Lord Morpeth had escorted his cousin to call upon her. And this was following a call from one of the other gentlemen who had also been in attendance the previous evening.

One Mr Hugh Fitzwilliam was the third son of an earl whose older brothers, the Viscount Cromford and a Colonel in his majesty's army, had reputations and attractions that far outstripped his own as a lowly younger son. Mr Fitzwilliam was a newly minted lawyer serving the criminal courts and, though tolerably friendly, seemed to Charlotte an overly serious man whose humour was often expressed at his own expense. While he was reasonably attractive and certainly he was well connected, his interest, though flattering, did not resemble in any way that which led to a lasting affection as she knew from witnessing her siblings' courtships and subsequent marriages.

Having been witness to these, Charlotte aspired to share the same affection and respect and friendship with her own future husband, whoever he may be, as her siblings had formed with their own spouses. Nevertheless, she had agreed to accept another call from the gentleman in the comings as she felt it would unpardonably rude to refuse him even the slightest chance to prove his affections and win her own. Yet, despite this, Charlotte did not fully consider it likely that he would succeed in the endeavour.

The Viscount and Miss Levson-Gower were shown into the room by her brother's butler who had greeted them at the door and collected their outerwear. Charlotte, Madelaine and Justin rose to greet their guests who happily settled onto the comfortable furnishings of the parlour when directed to do so. Susan settled into the chaise next to Charlotte while Lord Morpeth selected an armchair at an angle that allowed easy conversation with all in the room and an excellent view of Miss Heywood's profile as she engaged himself and his cousin in conversation.

Charlotte was quick to renew the introductions between her brother and their guests. Her brother and Lord Morpeth gave each other short nods of acknowledgement while Susan tilted her head rather more delicately in greeting to the unfamiliar gentleman.

The group sat for some time in conversation over the previous evening's events as they dissected the actions and discourse of varying individuals as people of fashion were wont to do after a night of entertainment. Charlotte and Miss Levson-Gower eventually broke off to speak of the delight of Town compared to the Country, and while both declared a decisive preference for the latter it had to be acknowledged that there a greater variety of means with which to occupy one's time.

The two young women had just determined to accompany each other on an outing of some kind or the other when they were drawn back into the discussion being had by the other occupants of the room who had diverged to speaking on the state of the Monarchy and the latest _on dit_ around the King's latest ill-advised conduct. While the topic was one that inspired much debate, it quickly risked trespassing into the improper, at least for the ears of tender females and so they digressed, and suddenly it seemed hours had passed and their guests could remain no longer or risk being impolitic.

It was as the Viscount and Miss Levson-Gower were preparing to leave that the gentleman paused while accepting his hat, gloves and cane back from the maid who had been sent to fetch them and turned to look at Charlotte once more. "I wonder, Miss Heywood, if you might grant me the pleasure of your company on a ride in Hyde Park tomorrow? If your time is not otherwise engaged that is." He enquired hopefully and awaited her response with baited breath.

Charlotte smiled, pleased with this turn of event and assured him that she was not otherwise engaged. "Though I fear I must confess that I am not a very skilled rider, my Lord. Will you risk the shame by association should I make some terrible _faux pas_?"

The Viscount only smiled and replied teasingly in turn, "I should be most honoured to share in your embarrassment should such an event occur, Ma'am."

"Very well then, a ride it shall be, Sir." Lord Morpeth acknowledged her acceptance with a smile and a bow then pressed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand as he and his cousin took their leave of the ladies.


	21. Chapter 21

Charlotte's morning the next day was occupied with correspondence; she read and replied to letters from her parents and siblings, from Lady Babington and from Mary Parker who wrote to invite her to visit with them once more this summer and to attend the 5th annual Midsummer Regatta.

Charlotte happily responded to her family's news and questions and was sure to assure them of her continued wellbeing; Esther wrote of her young son having taken his first steps and had enclosed an invitation to a ball which would be the first ball she would host since her confinement and only the second since her marriage and she was keen to have Charlotte there for she counted among her truest friends.

Charlotte was obliged to decline the invitation extended by Mrs Parker and cited her engagements in Town throughout much of the summer though she was sure to also extend her sincerest apologies and regret at having to refuse the generous offer. Though she did not like to think on it, Charlotte had other reservations that contributed her refusal; while she knew her heart to have long since healed, she did not yet feel ready to encounter one Sidney Parker once more and was uncertain she would be able to maintain her composure upon _that_ reunion.

Soon the bells rang and alerted Charlotte to the encroaching luncheon hour that was observed in her brother's household. The family had not long finished the light meal of pastries and cold meats when the first callers of the afternoon were announced. Lord and Lady Babington were shown into the drawing room where the necessary introductions were made between the guests and her brother and sister. Esther and Lord Babington greeted them all cordially and Lord Babington with his own usual civility before Charlotte was drawn into eager discussion between the ladies on the very ball she had accepted to attend that morning. The gentleman, likewise, were content to discuss business and politics. Lord and Lady Babington did not stay for very long and were soon on their way to make calls to their other friends and acquaintances.

The next caller was a business associate of her brother's and his wife who were introduced to Charlotte as Mr and Mrs Richardsson and she was summarily informed by the latter that her husband was invested in the shipping business her brother used to import and export the goods he dealt in himself. These goods were vast and varied in nature, spanning from fabrics and exotic silks from India to spices from the far east which he brought into the country to the delicate chinaware and spirits shipped from British shores to foreign places.

To this visit was added Mr Fitzwilliam some half an hour later. The gentleman engaged all in attendance in open and friendly conversation and his frank manner of speaking, which had initially been so unsettling to Charlotte and Madelaine, soon was more fondly appreciated for he presented himself as a man disinclined to blindly believe all females stupid and conversed with them, if not as equals, then as the reasonably well-educated gentlewomen they were.

Mr and Mrs Richardsson were escorted from the house by her brother who was, himself, leaving to meet with an investor and they were followed shortly by Mr Fitzwilliam who, having learned during the course of his visit that Charlotte would be in attendance at Lady Babington's ball, had requested her first set in the dances to be had that evening before he departed just as Lady Granville and Lady Susan arrived.

Lady Granville, though gratified to learn her efforts to encourage Charlotte's acceptance into her own social circles had so clearly begun to bear fruit, was somewhat resentful that the young lady she hoped she might soon call her niece was now required to divide her time between suitors which would make her nephew's courting of the girl all the more challenging. Nevertheless, the group of ladies engaged in lively conversation which only halted with the announcement of the Viscount's arrival.

Charlotte, who had allowed the time to completely pass her notice, was very much relieved when her brother chose that moment to return from his business and usher the man into his study where he surely intended to interrogate Lord Morpeth about his intentions to his sister. Charlotte was quickly ushered by Madelaine to her chambers where Alyona, who would be accompanying them as chaperone, was waiting to help Charlotte change into a riding habit.

Madelaine's attempts to apologise profusely for her sister's sudden abandonment were simply brushed off by the ladies who proceeded to confess their interference with the fledgling couple's initial introduction and early meetings and declared they were both much too pleased by this development to be bothered with feeling insulted. And Lady Susan, who knew Charlotte best of all the ladies, could only impart her own experiences of Miss Heywood which had led her to understand that, though a very good and well-mannered sort of girl, she was perhaps not always so mindful of proper behaviour as one aught be.

Charlotte changed from her day dress into her riding habit with remarkable speech, due in large part to Alyona's efficiency, and when she left her chambers again, this time dressed appropriately for a ride along Rotten Row, found that her brother and the Viscount had not yet departed the former's study. Charlotte took the opportunity to bid their earlier callers a proper farewell and was just contemplating asking a maid to discretely check on the gentlemen when they appeared at the door to join the ladies.

The Viscount greeted his aunt fondly and apologised for not staying to speak with her further as he had come to escort the lovely Miss Heywood on a ride around Hyde Park. Charlotte and the Viscount swiftly departed with Alyona to the mews behind the row of townhouses overlooking Fitzroy Square. Two grooms hoisted Charlotte up onto the horse she preferred to ride when visiting her brother, a dapple-grey palfrey, while the Viscount mounted his own chestnut Arabian. Alyona and a groom would follow behind them in a small gig as chaperones.

Charlotte's preference for Gemini, whose name came from a cluster of markings that resembled the constellation, stemmed from her own inexperience with the side-saddle. As a child her father had not been able to afford such a saddle for the use of his daughters. It was only after several dangerous escapades on the Clydesdales that worked the farm by his then second youngest daughter that Mr Heywood relented and permitted her to be taught to ride astride by their groom.

It had only been in more recent years when her father made the choice to invest in some of the local trade that the family's finances had taken an upturn which allowed the purchase of a side-saddle which his daughters could use to ride one of retired farm horses. Her sister Anne held no great love of the noble animals after a frightening incident in her formative years and preferred to walk or use a carriage. Julia and Charlotte's remaining younger sisters who were old enough to learn had all become tolerably proficient and lady-like riders but Charlotte, though she had reluctantly endured the lessons with the new saddle, much preferred the freedom to be found in riding like a man and always chose to do so when the opportunity was to be had.

So, it was fortunate that Gemini was a sedate and easily led mare who lent herself quite well to Charlotte's use given her own lack of skill in riding in the manner expected of well-bred girls.

Charlotte and Lord Morpeth made their way at a steady trot towards Hyde Park to parade down Rotten Row. Along the route they spoke on many topics from memories of their childhoods to the goings on in the lives of their friends and the plans they had over the coming weeks and months while the Season was in full swing. As they approached the entrance to the Hyde Park which was the place to see and be seen their conversation digressed to their more immediate plans.

"My aunt and Lady Worcester tell me that you are close with Lady Babington? Do you think it likely we will find each other at her ball?" Lord Morpeth enquired as they passed the gates and entered the park, directing their horses along the fashionable parade crowded with other ladies and gentlemen.

"If you will be there I am certain we shall encounter each other at some point or other during the evening. Lady Babington called on us just this morning and seemed very eager to tell me all about her plans for it." Charlotte replied, informing him that she would be there and, indirectly, assuring him she would welcome his attention if he too was to be in attendance.

The Viscount smiled at hearing this and was pleased to be given the opportunity to request more of her company. "In that case, Miss Heywood, might you permit me to request your first set for the evening?"

"You may be permitted to request it, sir, but I must be obliged to decline for my first and second sets have already been claimed, my Lord." Charlotte was disappointed to refuse him this.

The Viscount, while perhaps a little upset at not being able to engage her for the opening dance, would not be turned from his intention to secure her hand in a dance. "Then perhaps I might engage you in the supper set, Miss Heywood? And perhaps also the final set?"

He had heard his mother and aunt talking of Lady Babington's balls and the rumours that she intended to include a Waltz to close the evening, so Lord Morpeth was not too sorry to have to request a different set than the first for it would allow them greater intimacy. He only hoped the young lady had been granted permission to dance the Waltz; perhaps he could persuade his mother or aunt to speak the Hostesses of Almacks on the topic.

Charlotte smiled obligingly at him and accepted his new offer; already she was very much looking forward to spending further time in the Viscount's company. "I wonder, my Lord, if you know who else may be invited? Lady Babington did not deign to share her guestlist."

"Ah yes, that I can do, Miss Heywood!" he confirmed. "Of a certainty I can say that several members of my own family will be present including my mother, aunt and cousin with whom you are already acquainted. My father shall also be there as will my sister, the Countess Gower, with her husband, Lord Gower and I should be very honoured to introduce them to you if you will allow it?" He pressed and hoped she would acquiesce to his conducting the introduction.

"I am sure I shall be honoured to make their acquaintance, Sir."

Further conversation was interrupted by the shocking calling of Charlotte's christian name by a young woman of most obvious African descent as betrayed by her mulatto colouring. Charlotte, in her surprise at hearing her name so impolitically called in public, almost lost her seat as she turned in the direction the call came from. It was only the Viscount and groom reaching to grasp her arms and steady her that prevented her from falling from her horse.

Charlotte was ever more surprised to discover that the female who had called out to her was Miss Georgiana Lambe whom she had befriended several years previously during her time in sanditon and whom she still maintained correspondence with though they had not met in person since that summer four years ago.

"Miss Lambe!" Charlotte declared cheerfully, though her address to the younger girl had the effect of a subtle scolding which was not overlooked by Georgiana's companion and the older woman directed a stern glance at her charge. "How unexpected! I had not thought to meet with you in town. Has Mr Parker finally allowed you to remove from Sanditon and return to London?" She questioned.

"Hardly." Miss Lambe complained. "I am permitted only to travel into Town for a few days to do some shopping and visit with my father's family who have recently returned to England for a short time. He sent Mrs Parker to watch me. Who is your friend?" Georgiana Lambe had evidently changed very little in the years that had passed since they last met and was as forward and disregarding of social mores as ever she had been.

Charlotte chose to ignore her friend's abruptness and introduced the Viscount to Georgiana and the lady she now realised must be the former Mrs Campion. This was certainly proving to be an awkward encounter and made worse when the older woman so clearly still took offense to Charlotte's presence if her barely civil acknowledgement of the girl who had been her competition, and to her mind still was, for her husband's affections was anything to judge by.

However, Mrs Parker, opportunist that she was, would not risk appearing rude in front of so influential a member of the peerage. Though what his interest in the little farmer's daughter could be, she could not begin to contemplate. The Viscount meanwhile had silently observed the poorly masked disdain from this lady and was offended on Miss Heywood's behalf for the dismissal she received.

Charlotte was thankful when Mrs Parker, in her desire to remove herself from the presence of the upstart chit, a desire which unfortunately surpassed her need to ingratiate herself with her betters, meant that the two parties went their separate ways with little further conversation. The Viscount took the opportunity to steer his lovely companion back towards the gates through which they had entered as they had reached the farthest end of the park's fashionable parade.

"That seemed to me an uncomfortable diversion, Miss Heywood." He began, "Are you quite well? You were very nearly unseated from your horse." And expressed his concern for her wellbeing.

"Oh, yes. Yes, I am quite well, my Lord, though I must thank you for your rescue. I'm certain I would indeed have fallen were it not for your own quick actions." Charlotte reassured him and expressed her gratitude for his saving her the unpleasantness which had been avoided.

"I am very pleased to hear it. I could not but have blamed myself if you had been injured." Lord Morpeth confessed.

Charlotte smiled at him and as she once more drew her horse up alongside his own said, "Then you may breather easier and be assured that it would not have been your fault, Sir. I was surprised by Miss Lambe's greeting and, though it pains me to acknowledge it, if I had taken a fall the blame could only be laid at her door for addressing anyone so informally in so public a place."

"Be that as it may, ma'am, I would still have felt responsible for your suffering."

Charlotte sighed at the circles they spoke around each other and suggested that they must simply agree to disagree on the matter or find themselves at an impasse. The Viscount agreed to this and set forth on new point of conversation.

"Miss Heywood, I should like it very much indeed if you would accompany my family to visit Astley's? You need not commit yourself to agreeing now, but I shall inform my aunt and cousin that I have extended the invitation and perhaps you might send them a note if the excursion is acceptable to your family?" The Viscount enquired as they departed the park and began to make their way back to the Heywoods' residence.

Charlotte agreed with Lord Morpeth's consideration of her family and informed him thus. "I should be delighted to accept, but I do agree that I do not know if my brother and sister's plans would allow for it. I will be certain to inquire with them and inform your aunt of our availability or lack thereof."

Lord Morpeth was most willing to accept this course of action and their conversation digressed then to more general topics for the remainder of the journey back the Fitzroy Square.


	22. Chapter 22

The next week passed in much the same manner as the last with yet more calls to friends by the ladies, meeting with investors and bankers and employees for Justin Heywood and escorting his mother and aunt and cousin on their own outings for the Viscount. The time he spent outside the company of his relatives was whiled away with visits to White's or fencing sessions or managing his own business affairs which were, admittedly, a good deal less numerous and less prosperous than the younger Mr Heywood's.

The only excitement to be had for the first half of Charlotte's weeks was accepting the Viscount's invitation to Astley's. The sudden and unaccompanied appearance of Georgiana, who had obtained their direction the previous Saturday, at their doorway threw the household into a state of upheaval and they spent some minutes persuading the young lady that it would be in her best interests to return to her guardian's home and the supposedly watchful eyes of Mrs Sidney Parker.

Their efforts to persuade her thus were proven to be for naught when Mrs Parker herself also appeared, the note Miss Lambe had left behind in hand and a most displeased countenance upon her person. With all the civility that might be afforded an urchin lifting one's purse they were thanked by that lady as Georgiana was removed from the doorstep in a most disagreeable manner and eliciting the disapproving frowns of their neighbours through many a street-facing parlour window.

The exotically coloured girl stomped her displeasure before ascending the single step into the carriage and was taken on her way much to the relief of the witnesses to the unfortunate incident. It must be acknowledged that there were several distinct reactions to the return of their street to its normal quiet ambience. The resident's spying the ordeal from their windows scoffed and set to share the outrageous behaviour of the young woman with all their visitors that day; the passers-by continued in their journeys with little more than a raised brow or and condemning expression or two and the Heywoods retreated once more behind the shield of their front door to hide their embarrassment.

So when, the following day, the Viscount arrived to escort them to that evening's entertainment they could only be mortified when the chatter of the _demi-monde_ crowded in the first atrium reached their ears and they discovered that news of the incident had already travelled so rapidly. Charlotte could only be thankful that the very few who recognised her family seemed more inclined to pity them than judge them poorly and the even smaller number who were inclined to the latter were disinclined to be hateful to any individuals clearly in the company of such an exalted family as the Viscount's.

Lord Morpeth had of course heard the mutterings himself and, ever sensitive to Charlotte's discomfort, guided them through the clamour with an ease that could come only from a lifetime of navigating the dangerous waters of the _haut ton_ to escape its grasping clutches. They arrived at the box held by the Howard family swiftly where they were greeted by Lord and Lady Granville and their daughter with enthusiasm and by Lady Howard with a more reserved grace. With Lady Howard was a young girl of perhaps fifteen or sixteen years who was introduced as the Lady Blanche and a lady of an age with the Viscount, Lady Caroline, who were among Lord Morpeth's sisters.

The performances listed on that evenings programme were set to include 'Death of Two Presidents', 'Abduction of an Heiress' and 'The Battle of Brandywine' as well as an assortment of odd skits and skirmishes and the observers eagerly awaited what was sure to be an evening of satirical humour.

Charlotte and Madelaine had been engaged in conversation by Lady Blanche, Lady Caroline and Miss Susan on their plans for the season. Lord Morpeth, while the younger ladies were occupied amongst themselves, took the opportunity to draw his mother and aunt aside to enquire about obtaining vouchers to Almack's for the Heywoods.

He knew his mother and aunt were close with Lady Cowper and that his aunt, particularly, was in a most enviable position of friendship with Princess Lieven and Lady Sefton which might allow her to successfully entreat the revered patronesses. Lord Morpeth was certain that, if nothing else, their own influence should grant an exceptionally favourable light on the application.

"Mother, Aunt, I had hoped to speak to you on a matter of some personal importance." He murmured discretely and directed them to a private and unoccupied corner of the box. "I expect you have heard that Lady Babington intends the closing dance at her ball to be a waltz?" When the elder ladies nodded and confirmed that they too had heard these reports he continued, "And I believe it is still the done thing that a young lady is not to dance a Waltz unless given permission to do so at Almack's?"

"Yes, my dear, that is still true, though the dance is becoming increasingly more acceptable and a young lady whose reputation is beyond reproach may engage in it without such approval from the patronesses. It is still wise to seek permission however." His mother agreed.

"I suppose then that I should inform you that I have already engaged Miss Heywood for the supper and final sets. I confess I should very much prefer to join the dances for both than sit the latter out. Mother, Aunt, may I trouble you to speak with the esteemed ladies of Almack's and apply to them for vouchers for Miss Heywood's family? She will, I believe, be among the young ladies who would still very much need permission to Waltz." He entreated the two women who were among those held closest to his heart.

Lady Granville only smiled at this development and determined most rapidly that she would do all in her power to see her son's request granted. Lady Howard gave her son an appraising look. "You wish us to apply for vouchers for a young lady for the sole purpose of dancing a Waltz with her?" she clarified. "That is very irregular, George."

"Yes, Mother, you understand my purpose, though I might be convinced to confess that I intend to more than simply dance a Waltz." He spoke with an unusually determined edge in his tone and a very meaningful look in his eyes. Lady Howard was silent for a moment, considering what her son was telling her even as her sister looked between the two with poorly concealed excitement. At length she spoke once more.

"Very well, dearest, we shall see what can be done. But do be careful. Though Miss Heywood seems to me a very good match for you, not everyone will agree with us. I would not see either of you harmed by sharp tongues and ill-considered actions if things do not end as you want them to." Lady Howard cautioned her son earnestly, a calm hand resting upon his arm.

"Yes, nephew, I do agree. This is a very pleasing development but, though your mother and I certainly approve of your choice, we all know not everyone will be as happy for you. It would not do to see either of your reputations damaged by this." The group considered several individuals who Lady Granville warned against as she spoke those words, not least of which was his own grandfather. Fortunately, he was holed up at Chatsworth having chosen, those past few years, to eschew the Season and its excitement.

Their attentions were diverted then to the rest of the party as the hubbub in the foyer slowly faded and people could be seen taking to their seats and readying themselves for the first set of performances. Lord Morpeth made his way back to their guests and escorted Charlotte to a seat next to his on in the front row of their box. His mother and father sat to his left and Miss Levson-Gower sat to her right on the remaining seats of the front row. Mr and Mrs Heywood occupied the seats behind their sister and were joined in that row by his own sisters while his aunt and uncle positioned themselves to the rear as, having already seen this performance the previous week, they did not require the best views of the arena.

The Viscount drew a small velvet pouch from an inner pocket of his evening coat and offered if to Charlotte. "One of my sisters lent me these for the evening, Miss Heywood. We were not certain if you had a pair of your own but thought you might appreciate the assistance they grant one when observing performances." Charlotte turned to him with a smile and accepted the little bag which, upon opening it, revealed a delicate set of silver opera glasses.

"That was very thoughtful of your sister, my lord. You must thank her for me as I do not have a set of my own and I am certain these shall enhance my enjoyment of the evening." She expressed her gratitude as she turned back to her companion with a tender smile and gentle hand on his arm. Her smiled was returned in kind as they looked to each other, silently acknowledging the slowly growing tension between them.

Charlotte broke her gaze first as trumpets sounded and the performance began as a group of riders paraded into the arena below them mounted on a half dozen or so horses and launched into the first performance. The Viscount gazed at her as she lifted the borrowed opera glasses to her face and thanked the fates that had first brought Charlotte and Lady Susan into each other's company before he too turned to watch the spectacle playing out before them.

There then followed some three hours spent in amusement at the antics and follies of the performers and, when the evening drew to a close, all who departed were in good cheer. The Heywoods were escorted home by the Viscount once more and plans were made en-route for a visit to the theatre or the opera a week or so hence. Charlotte and Lord Morpeth parted ways that evening with fond farewells and promises of calls and walks to come.

* * *

In the days that followed, Lady Granville and Lady Howard endeavoured to convince the great patronesses of Almack's that it would be no terrible thing to grant the Heywoods vouchers to attend the assembly rooms. They were initially met with no little resistance though some success was to be had when Lady Susan reinforced their efforts with her own social weight.

Lady Jersey, Lady Gwydyr and Lady Castlereagh were stalwart in their reluctance to adhere to the present customs and the Countess Esterhazy had no opinion on the matter nor the inclination to argue the case of a gentleman farmer's daughter whose brother was a _cit_. It was from Lady Cowper, Lady Sefton and, most particularly, the Princess Lieven's quarter where support was to be found.

Lady Susan, who had formed a sort of friendship with the former countess had, with Lady Granville with whom the latter was already great friends, spent some time in the princess' company in Moscow while their younger companions had been exploring the city. Though the Princess and Charlotte had not been introduced then, Dorothea was able to recall the young woman who had often been seen in company with the other ladies and remembered a distinctly pleasant impression of the girl's carriage. She was, with some significant effort, convinced to support their application for vouchers for Charlotte Heywood, though on a highly provisional basis.

Lady Sefton took far less convincing, having been already introduced the girl in question at Lady Granville's dinner party and been impressed with her ability to hold herself within the boundaries of propriety even while making known the strength of her character. The Countess had, of course, already reached her own conclusions regarding the true purpose of her friends' generosity and could find no fault with it.

Lady Cowper proved the most supportive of all the Lady Patronesses, though this was no great surprise to any who knew her. A great lover of any romantic tale, she had long since gained a reputation for being tender-hearted and was all too willing to support the people nearest and dearest to her in any of their endeavours. She could hardly have resisted the opportunity to encourage the match between an admired member of the peerage and this unknown Miss Heywood when it brought these two aspects of her very personality into a single thread. Yes, Lady Cowper would argue the case of these ladies on Miss Heywood's behalf at the next meeting of the committee on Monday.

Of course, in a few years' time, the marked exclusivity of the noted assembly rooms and the attached influence of the Patronesses would begin to decline and such manoeuvrings on the parts of the Ladies Granville, Howard and Worcester might not have proven necessary. Most certainly not for sole purpose of allowing a single female to Waltz for the dance was very nearly almost respectable.


	23. Chapter 23

Over the next week Charlotte and Lord Morpeth encountered each other several times. The Viscount could be counted on to call upon her if not every day, then certainly every other and even on days where he was absent from their own drawing room he could be met upon entry to Ormond House at St James' Square and Carlisle House at Grosvenor Square. And on one occasion Charlotte was happened upon by the gentleman while sat under a tree with a book as her brother, sister and niece played pall mall in Regent's Park.

Mr Fitzwilliam had continued to call upon her, often bearing flowers, and on a memorable Tuesday afternoon had arrived within minutes of one of the Viscount's many visits. The latter gentlemen had discarded the pretence of escorting his sisters or cousins to call on her and had, just moments before the former's arrival made known his intention to court her which Charlotte had been all too happy to allow him.

Mr Fitzwilliam could be counted upon to bring lively debate to their drawing room and had made no secret of his affection for Charlotte. His initial reaction to learning that he had competition in his courtship of her had not been kind and in doing so had granted Charlotte a view of his temper. It was an occurrence she was not eager to repeat.

That gentleman had finally spoken to her of his intentions on the Wednesday and made known his desire to offer for her in the coming weeks. Charlotte had tried to gently discourage his pursuit at that meeting though she feared her words had little impact on him for he did not let up in his calls to their home and had even brought with him the following day one his elder brothers for the sole purpose of introducing them. She had been left on their departure with the distinct impression that a firmer hand and tongue would be needed and had immediately set to seek the advice of her elder friends on how to handle the matter.

In the end, Charlotte needn't have worried for Mr Fitzwilliam's father, the earl, had caught wind of his son's attachment to a country nobody and issued an ultimatum to his youngest son: if he continued his pursuit of a penniless farmer's daughter his allowance would be cut off and his inheritance forfeit. Mr Fitzwilliam, though quite attached to Miss Heywood, was more attached to his manner of living and could only acknowledge his salary as a lawyer would not allow him to maintain his lifestyle and keep a wife comfortably. He had called upon the young lady on the Saturday and made this known to her and expressed his hope that his withdrawal did no great damage to her heart. Charlotte could only inform him that his hopes were met and assured him they could part as friends for her heart had, in truth, been little touched.

While these events were occurring, Lady Susan and Lady Granville had called at Almack's Assembly Rooms to retrieve the voucher that had been issued to the Heywoods for the duration of April and purchased for them a set of tickets to the next assembly which would be held the next Wednesday. The pair had then delivered the voucher and tickets to the family on the Friday and informed them that they would accompany Lord and lady Worcester and their eldest daughter on the evening of their first attendance.

The Wednesday a fortnight following their visit to Astley's came around most rapidly. A carriage arrived at 17 Fitzroy Square in the late afternoon which was set to convey them to Lady Susan's residence at Berkeley Square and Charlotte had been instructed to bring with her the three gowns that had gone unworn during their trip to Moscow the summer previous with all their accompanying necessities. A footman would return the bulk of the garment to her brother's home later that evening.

Madelaine had begged off attending the assembly that evening, citing a headache and unsettled constitution and, insisting she would be quite happy to spend a quiet evening with Reignette, bid them enjoy themselves.

Upon their arrival at Lady Susan's, Charlotte and Alyona were immediately bundled upstairs into a guest chamber where the latter was instructed to lay out the gowns on the bed and the former to disrobe in the attached dressing room. The dresses that had been laid upon the bed included a hand-printed floral cream silk with red ribbon embellishments, a striped purple silk with slightly puffed sleeves and a pale golden silk with prominent black floral embroidery and broderie anglaise on the overskirt.

Charlotte, Lady Susan and Alyona spent close to an hour determining which dress Charlotte should wear that evening and eventually settled on the first of the three. They paired it with cream gloves, red satin slippers and a delicate Indian silk shawl to keep her warm in the carriage while her hair was held up with pearl pins lent to her by Lady Susan and she wore a pearl pendant around her neck.

They arrived at the assembly rooms no less than an hour before the doors were closed and their arrival had been preceded by Lady Granville and Lady Howard and their families. Lady Granville upon her own arrival a mere ten minutes previously had immediately set to searching out Lady Cowper with the intention of introducing the generous lady to the girl that had been taken under their wing. Lady Susan and Lady Howard, meanwhile, had already arranged with Lady Sefton that she would be the patroness to greet Lady Susan's when they arrived as she was the only member of the Lady Patronesses that had already been introduced to Miss Heywood. The Princess Lieven was absent that evening having been required by her husband to host a dinner party for several members of the House of Lords.

"Lady Worcester, how delightful to see you again! And Miss Heywood, a pleasure." Lady Sefton greeted the group as she approached and allowed Mr Heywood to be introduced to her.

Charlotte smiled at the elder lady and return a greeting of her own and engaged with idle small talk though was somewhat perplexed that so esteemed a society matron had singled them out to speak with. She was broken from her moment of musing by the arrival of Lord Morpeth at her side who immediately set to claim her first and final sets of the evening. Charlotte granted them happily and allowed herself to be led to the refreshments table and then on to meet those of his brothers and sisters who had deigned to grace this place with their presence.

Charlotte was introduced to two more of his sisters, the Lady Georgiana Agar-Ellis and Lady Harriet Sutherland-Levson-Gower, Countess Gower and to Mr Frederick Howard, the only one of the Viscounts brothers old enough to be seen in society and out of university. The group spent some few minutes debating current gossip until, eventually, the Viscount whisked Charlotte away once more as the first of a quadrille began to fill the suite of rooms and couples who were engaged for the first set drifted to take their place with their partners in the space reserved for the dances.

The first set of the evening was lively and was laid claim to by many of the young ladies and gentlemen gathered that evening; each couple who stood up with each other found lively conversation and subtle flirting. There was, naturally, some less subtle flirting which was sure to be heard among the conspiracies that would circulate the rooms later that evening and society in the coming days.

The Viscount certainly was among the number of gentlemen more openly familiar with his lady of choice and if the pair's hands brushed a little more frequently than was proper and if Lord Morpeth held Miss Heywood a little closer than he aught throughout the set they thought nothing of it. The same could not be said of the eyes that watched them; many a disapproving eye could be observed among the matrons and yet more disappointed and jealous sighs from the debutantes who had set caps of their own at the attractive young lord. Some it must be granted, watched the couple with greater understanding and tolerance with fond or amused smiles.

The ladies best acquainted with the pair and who knew of the Viscount's intentions could only declare their fondness of Hiss Heywood and their approval of his choice for all to hear. Lady Sefton had been seen greeting the newcomer to their circles upon her arrival and everything had indicated that lady's approval of young woman and Lady Cowper could be heard expressing her own desire to make the acquaintance of anyone who had so evidently earned the approval of the two great families who had elected to sponsor her.

Before the evening was finished there had emerged a consensus, reluctantly by some and happily by others, that they made a very attractive pair and speculation ran rampant as to when the engagement would be announced in the papers.

But George and Charlotte were oblivious to this. They were absorbed in each other; exchanging frequent smiles with perhaps more emotion than was common and swapping tart and ridiculous conversation on idle and insensible topics to the humour of both and the benefit of none. Charlotte, who was not skilled in dancing quadrilles as cotillions and reels and polonaises had been the preference of her local society, though she and each of her sisters had learnt the steps to the waltz at the insistence of their dancing master, had certainly stepped on the Viscount's toes more often than he surely appreciated. Lord Morpeth, though, gave no indication that he felt her missteps at all and, Charlotte being so very petite and he so very much larger than her, it was entirely possible they passed his notice by completely.

As the second dance of the set wound to a close, they bowed and curtseyed to each other and their neighbours and departed to join their friends and family who had settled themselves amongst an assortment of elegant furnishings in another part of the assembly rooms. Charlotte was glad to see her brother had been drawn into a conversation on business and his thoughts on the impact of the French Revolution on the importing and exporting of certain liquid goods by Mr Howard and Lord Worcester.

Lady Granville, Lady Susan and Lady Howard were engaged in uproarious laughter with Lady Cowper who sat beside an unknown woman who seemed somewhat sickly and swollen and bore a rather pinched expression. Lord Morpeth's sisters and their husbands moved past them to join the second set of dances. As their approach was noticed, Lady Granville called her nephew and his partner to join them; the former greeted his mother and aunt with a dutiful kiss on the cheek and a bow for the remaining ladies while the latter smiled and curtseyed cheerfully to all.

"Oh, go and join the men and their talks of war and politics, George, you'll find nothing of interest with us ladies." Lady Howard ordered of her son imperiously as they moved to sit with the group.

Lord Morpeth merely raised a brow in query and paused in his descent onto the chaise beside Miss Heywood. "I'm sure whatever you are talking of is excessively diverting mother, and the present company always provides some interesting amusement or other." He teased and, though this was directed to Lady Howard, all gathered noticed that his eyes did not drift from Charlotte. But he ceded to his mother's demand for his absence and changed his course to join the other gentleman, gripping his brother's shoulder as he greeted them.

"Now, Charlotte dear, may we introduce you to Lady Cowper, the Countess Cowper, and Lady Caroline who is Lady Cowper's sister by marriage and my own cousin. Ladies, allow me to introduce to you Miss Charlotte Heywood, a dear friend" Charlotte smiled and expressed her pleasure at making their acquaintance though noticed the increased tension between the two women at the mention of their relationship to one another. This tension slipped from Lady Cowper's features rather more quickly than from Lady Caroline's upon learning the name of her new acquaintance.

The Countess smiled gently back at the younger girl and responded in kind. "It is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Heywood, I have heard wonderful things from our mutual friends." She greeted and seemed to pause for a moment, considering her next words. "Do forgive me for asking but… do you happen to be any relation of Mrs Sophia Musters? She too was a Miss Heywood before her marriage to John Musters."

Charlotte's brow shot up and her eyes widened in shock at the mention of that woman. She had no idea her late aunt might have been acquainted with anyone of Lady Cowper's calibre. "They may not be the same person but my late aunt was named Sophia and she married my uncle Musters though I do not know if he was a John. Why do you ask, my lady?" Charlotte could not disguise her surprise at the Countess' enquiry.

Lady Cowper's smile grew wider and she released a delighted laugh. "well this is certainly and unexpected development! Miss Heywood, I believe your Aunt Sophia may have shared a very… close relationship with my own late brother, had he lived longer they might even have married for I know Mr Muster passed away some years ago." The Countess confided this knowledge with a girl who, had circumstances been different, might have been counted as family. Certainly, the girl would have had significantly better familial connections than she could currently claim.

Charlotte did not know what to make of this and leant back into the chaise with an astounded, slightly strangled sort of sigh. She wrung her hands in her skirts as she processed this information and deliberated over what to make of it. Lady Cowper noticed the conflict on the younger girl's expression and laid her own hand reassuringly over Charlotte's fumbling fingers. "The Mr Muster I speak of departed this world in the summer of 1808, almost 20 years ago now. Do you think he might be the man you would have known as your uncle, dear?"

Charlotte considered this and compared it with what she knew of her own Aunt Sophia. Admittedly, she knew very little of her aunt for she could not remember her father speaking of the woman often and, given the relationship between the brother and sister had long been a tense one, Charlotte had no strong memories of her.

As this conversation continued, her brother, who had noticed the unsettled expression on his sister's face, had abandoned his conversation with her suitor in favour of ensuring Charlotte's wellbeing. He had heard this last question from the Countess and, knowing more of their aunt that his sister did, offered the answer himself in confirming that their uncle, too, had passed away in the summer of 1808.

Charlotte had only been two or three years old when their uncle died and could not remember the single time she had met him so she was only slightly more unsettled by the turn the conversation then seemed to take. She had more memories of her aunt and had been left some of her possessions upon her own death three years previously. Looking back on those meetings with her aunt, Charlotte could vaguely recall a gentleman that had been spoken of most fondly and whom Charlotte had assumed to be her departed uncle at the time. Perhaps her assumption had been wrong?

It was fortunate that Lady Cowper had observed her disquiet and suggested that, perhaps this conversation might be best continued at a later time. Charlotte nodded at this and was grateful to leave the news behind for a while, preferring, instead, to focus on enjoying this evening with her friends and proceeded to dance until she felt her feet could no longer support her.

Her brother and then Lord Worcester had partnered her for the third and fourth sets of the evening after which they stepped into one of the antechambers that were filled with refreshments and assortments of finger foods and enjoyed a light repast in good company. The seventh and eighth sets she danced with new acquaintances made that very evening by the names of Mr Poulter and Sir Enwhorth; the ninth set was a waltz and, though Lady Cowper had granted Charlotte permission to join it, she chose to sit that set out before she was joined in the final set of the evening by Lord Morpeth for the second time that evening to the whispers of the gathered crowds.

The final set was a lively cotillion and, much to the couple's displeasure, they each spent more of the final dances separated than joined as they crossed lines at diagonals and weaved through the other dancers. Their conversation was stilted and often they finished but half of their turns before moving off in different directions as the figures of the dance dictated.

George and Charlotte were better pleased when the set ended and they could retreat once more to the edges of the room or to the more comfortably furnished antechambers where conversations could be more easily had, both resolved to eschew the cotillion when they were partnered in favour of other diversions at future assemblies and balls.

With the end of the dancing, the families that filled the rooms of Almack's began to disperse for only the most gauche of individuals would remain for more than a half hour when that time of the evening came. So, it was not long before Charlotte's party bid their goodbyes to each other with promises of calls and outing in the coming days.

The Howards had invited Charlotte and her family to join their own party at the Opera later that week and Lady Susan, who had already been invited, offered to collect and convey Charlotte when she had considered refusing out of deference to her brother's plans for the evening which would have seen them attending a dinner party hosted by his accounts manager. Justin Heywood was quick to assure his sister that if it would please her to visit the Opera then she should go. He was certain their friends would have no quarrel with her changing her plans though she was surely to be grilled on her adventures by Mrs Purvis when next they met.


	24. Chapter 24

That next week passed much as the previous had, with calls on friends, neighbours and acquaintances, evening amusements and attendance at dinners and card parties. Observing the young Viscount escort his lady around the streets and parks of Town soon became an expected sight among the members of the _Ton_ and it was unusual that a day would pass when they were not in each other's company in some manner or other.

The couple could often be seen strolling through Hyde Park, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow, or parading through Mayfair and Belgravia in his phaeton or curricle and always accompanied by Alyona or one or other of their relatives. And when they were not visible to the eyes of onlookers they were equally agreeably engaged in the drawing rooms of their mutual friends and respective families.

Charlotte had spent the Saturday evening once more in company with the large family that the Viscount claimed as his as she had been escorted to join them at the Royal Opera House to see Mozart's _The Magic Flute_ in what would be the first of 3 rare performances since its initial success a little over thirty years before.

Lady Susan and Lord Worcester, who had collected her from her home and returned her there at the end of the evening, guided her through the clamour to the Howards' private box where they left her in the watchful care of the Ladies Howard and Granville.

The ladies were quick to introduce Charlotte to the members of their party whom she had not met already and delighted gaily in depriving Lord Morpeth of the only person whose company he desired that evening. His discontented expression and uncharacteristic pouting scowl, which he made a valiant but ill-fated effort to subdue, would be a source of humour to his mother and aunt and sisters for several days.

The younger ladies among the group did eventually take pity on their brother and cousin and contrived to distract the elder ladies' attentions. The Viscount was quick to step into the vacated space around the lovely Miss Heywood and eagerly asked after her wellbeing and happiness and that of her family even as he beckoned over his sister Harriet to join them.

The Viscount, who had taken pains to ensure Charlotte would be able to enjoy the wonders of Mozart's talents to their fullest, had conspired with his favourite sister to obtain for her a pair of ladies' opera glasses. Of course, he could not present these to her himself for the giving of gifts was not a done thing when courting respectable females. Instead he had begged of Harriet that she might seek something suitable and give it to Charlotte under the guise of a gift from a generous acquaintance as an offer of deeper friendship.

Lady Harriet, who had found her brothers intended a refreshing change from the small-minded girls who were wont to crowd her brothers and cousins in the hopes of gaining their favour, had agreed to humour her brother. She had procured a simple but finely crafted pair of silver glasses that were engraved with little flowers and a plain velvet-lined leather case in which to keep them and it was this she held in her hands as she approached her brother and Miss Heywood.

"We are delighted you were able to join us this evening Miss Heywood, one cannot claim to have sampled to pleasures of Town without attending the opera. My brother tells us you appreciated the use of my own opera glasses during your evening at Astley's and I thought perhaps you might enjoy a pair entirely your own?" Lady Harriet declared as she pressed the gift into Charlotte's hands and leant in to kiss her cheeks as close friends were like to do. "I do hope you like them, though it is my brother who truly deserves your thanks for his observations." The lady murmured in Miss Heywood's ear before drawing back.

"I… Th-thank you my lady," Charlotte stammered as she looked down at the case in her hands, surprised at so thoughtful a gesture from so new an acquaintance. Charlotte opened the case with trembling fingers and released an appreciative breath at the prettiness of the glasses held within. "They are beautiful, but I do not think I can accept such a generous gift." She exclaimed, looking up to meet the eyes of her hosts.

Lady Harriet simply brushed aside Charlotte's protestations and was quick to assure her the expense was nothing and that she dearly wished them to become great friends. Charlotte was prevented from further argument by the curtain call as the rest of the theatres bustled to take their seats. Charlotte found herself settled beside Lord Morpeth in a seat to the left of the box looking almost directly upon the stage, though the box's position meant that every seat granted excellent views of the stage.

The Viscount leant in close to her as the curtains lifted to reveal the stage set for the first scene and enquired if Charlotte liked her gift.

"Oh, yes, I think they're lovely! Your sister is very kind though she claims it is you I really ought to be thanking, Sir." Charlotte enthused.

The Viscount smiled. "I'm pleased you approve of them. Though I did wish you to always find the greatest enjoyment in the talents of our playwrights and composers and though it was my desire to provide you with that which you seemed to so appreciate when last we enjoyed the delights of the theatre, the credit for the getting of them can only be laid in my sister's hands."

Charlotte merely smiled at him and, as she laid a hand upon his arm, only said, "Regardless, I thank you all the same for your consideration, my lord." She removed her hand quickly before anyone saw and thought to comment on her forwardness. Both their attention had then been drawn to the stage as the performance began.

The rest of the evening has passed pleasurably indeed and Charlotte had been delighted when Esther and Lord Babington had appeared at the entrance to the Howards' box with Lord and Lady Worcester during an interval between acts. Before Charlotte could even process the conversation, Esther had skilfully extracted a promise to call on her for tea the following afternoon and was on her way even as her friend floundered in perplexity.

The skies were dark and the streets were, if not silent, then certainly quiet as Charlotte was delivered home at the end of the evening by Lord and Lady Worcester. As she entered her brother's house which was dark with all but one of its residents retired to bed some time ago, she slipped in to bid Justin goodnight who was addressing some urgent business in his study before slipping up to her own bedchamber as quietly as her feet would carry her.

Alyona helped her undress and settled Charlotte's gown over a chair by the window ready to be laundered the next day while her mistress sat to unpin her hair from the pile it was in on her head. Charlotte bid Alyona a pleasant sleep once the sheets on the bed had been turned back and her pelisse hung in the dressing room with the rest of the wardrobe. She sat at the dressing table for a few moments longer, her fingers resting on the case containing her new opera glasses and she realised there had been very few moments in her life as happy as these past weeks she had spent in Lord Morpeth's company.

Charlotte smiled and revelled in these feelings that she was rapidly coming to know as love even as she blew out the candles lighting the room and climbed into bed, dropping into a slumber that was deeper and more restful than she had known in more than three years.

* * *

Charlotte woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the drapes covering her windows through which drifted the muted sounds of birdsong and the scent of freshly brewed tea from the tray resting on the low table by the chaise and chair at the end of her bed. Alyona bustled around, quietly setting out Charlotte's garments for the day and taking care not to wake the younger woman.

The maid paused in her preparations as she noticed Charlotte had awoken and greeted her with a smile, offering to pour a cup of tea that Miss Heywood might enjoy while Alyona finished gathering what was needed to dress her mistress and make her ready to greet the morning.

"That would be lovely, Alyona, thank you. If you would pass me my robe, perhaps you might also pour some for yourself, as I know my brother's cook always send up an extra cup." Charlotte suggested with a sleepy sort of contentment as she sat up, throwing aside her bedsheets and swinging her legs to the floor to stand. Alyona set to collecting her dressing robe and helping Charlotte slip her arms into it before setting to the task of pouring the promised tea for them both.

Charlotte breathed in the spiced fragrance of her favourite Assam blend served without milk and sweetened slightly with a single cube of sugar as it was handed to her before taking a sip of the scalding liquid, avoiding burning her tongue on it heat only by years of exposure the temperature. She sighed happily and leant into the cushioned back of the chair in which she sat, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the sweetened bitterness of the beverage.

Alyona, ever mindful of the difference in their stations, though Charlotte was an exceptionally generous mistress and she knew she was very fortunate to come into her service, finished her own cup swiftly that she might return to her duties sooner. Charlotte only smiled exasperatedly at her friend's, for she did consider the older woman to be a friend, one whose guidance and experience she valued, need to observe and maintain the constant distinction between the help which she was and equals which she did not consider herself to be.

Charlotte sighed as she drank the last of her own tea, gazing into the dregs and stray tealeaves before setting her teacup on its saucer and making her way over to the dressing table where Alyona waited patiently to set to taming the unruly tangled locks she was plagued with each morning when she rose.

Charlotte eventually made her way downstairs to join her family in the morning parlour for breakfast dressed in a simple cream day dress with tiny printed clusters of leaves and flowers. She greeted her brother, sister and niece fondly and smiled at her niece's governess who was newly employed and had arrived only the previous day as she joined them to sit at the table which was spread with an assortment of breads, fruits and pastries.

Her sister enquired after her plans for the day and Charlotte shared her promise to visit Esther at her home in Grosvenor Square and happily extended the invitation to accompany her to her Madelaine who eagerly accepted, determined to enjoy some time in her sister's company out of their own home now that the upset in her belly seemed to have passed. The sisters spent much of the rest of the morning meal discussing their experiences of the previous evening, straying only from this conversation to accept the morning post and enquire as to Mrs Gerding's plans for young Reignette that day.

It was early afternoon when the two ladies ventured beyond the confines of their own drawing room, swapping it for the extravagance of the Babington's town house. Esther, who had been entertaining her young son, greeted her guests with offers of tea and biscuits and bid them make themselves comfortable. She was eager to share all her plans for the ball she was hosting at the end of the week and to share some happy news with one of the few people she considered a true friend.

Esther would be returning to Abbey Grange, her and Lord Babington's country house in Lincolnshire, at the end of May when her recently discovered pregnancy would begin to show. Lord Babington would join her once his business with the House of Lords had concluded.

The group of ladies spent some time discussing the upcoming ball and congratulating Lady Babington on her growing family. Eventually the conversation turned to the events of the previous weeks and the tales they had heard from their friends and acquaintances, mutual or otherwise. It was then that Esther confided in Charlotte that she had seen Sidney Parker on the day he had collected his wife and ward from Town after that unfortunate business at Charlotte's own home and had been much surprised at the state of him. Charlotte, though she did not truly care to hear of it, politely asked after Esther's meaning.

"Though I confess I have had very little contact the Parker's since leaving Sanditon after our wedding, he and my husband have maintained their friendship as much as the distance between them these days will allow. But he was so unkempt, Charlotte! His overcoat rumpled and I am certain he had forgotten to shave for several days for there was a shockingly ill-groomed growth on his jaw. And the way he behaved with his wife; it was so cold!" Esther disclosed.

Had things been different, it might have been her that had become his wife; but things were what they were and she had healed from the pain his choice to tie himself to a woman who clearly made him unhappy had caused her. And she knew she had the Viscount to thank for returning the final damaged pieces of her heart and reminded her what it was to know love again. Though it saddened Charlotte to hear that Mr Parker has sunk so low, she could only find it within herself to pity his present circumstances for he no longer held any hold over her.

It was with this conversation that Charlotte truly allowed herself to acknowledge that she had moved on from the past; moved on from Sanditon and the people and feelings that had, for so long, prevented her from allowing herself to experience the happiness she did now. She finally felt free to give her heart, her love and every ounce of her affection to the man she loved today and knew he would accept it, treasure it and keep it safely.


	25. Chapter 25

The preparations for Esther's May Day ball were well underway when Charlotte arrived the next afternoon with her sister several hours before the ball was set to start at her friend's insistence. Charlotte and Madelaine had been invited to prepare for the evening at the Babington's townhouse by Lord Babington with the purpose of managing his wife's anxiety and preventing her from overtaxing her energy before the guests even began to arrive.

The two women had bathed cleansed themselves earlier that afternoon so as not to add to the demands being placed on the household staff that day as they went about clearing out a series of the downstairs rooms, opening out partition walls and windows to allow air to circulate and arranging flowers and decorations as befitting a May Day celebration. Much of the larger furniture and valuables had been removed to storage below stairs or deposited in the unused chambers on the family and guest floors.

Alyona had accompanied the pair and would coordinate with Esther's own maid, Lucy, in supporting their mistresses to ready themselves for the night. Madelaine and Charlotte's gowns had been carefully stored in lightweight trunk which was transported with them in the carriage.

Madelaine would wear a jewel-toned green silk gown with a sheer embroidered overskirt and cream velvet trimmings on the bust and sleeves. Madelaine considered it fortunate that she already possessed a lovely pair of cream slippers and soft gloves to pair with it. They would be well complemented by the silver and emerald pendant and drop earrings her husband had gifted her a few days previously upon learning that she was increasing.

Charlotte had elected to wear one of the gowns she had decided against for her first Almack's Assembly; the one of pale golden silk fading into prominent honey and amber then black floral embroidery and broderie anglaise patterning towards the hem of the skirt with tiny seed pearls sewn in the slightly puffed cap sleeves. The gown had been specially commissioned the previous summer as one of many she had taken with her to Russia but had as yet gone unworn and this meant it had already been paired with elegant dancing slippers and a well matched cloak and shawl.

She intended to adorn herself simply that evening with only an amber cameo with a drop pearl choker strung on a thick black ribbon and a pair of amber and pearl earrings that she had inherited from her aunt. The colours would go wonderfully with her gown and she was pleased to have saved it for this evening for it was much better suited to a ball than an assembly.

The carriage the two women travelled in traversed the streets with ease to deliver them at Grosvenor Square in good time. Stepping down from the carriage they were greeted at the door by the Babington's butler who, if a little more outwardly rumpled than usual, was austere as ever he had been and guided them with efficiency to the mistress' chambers having been given strict instructions by the master that they were to be taken to his wife immediately upon arrival that they might sooner distract her from her need to control everything.

Esther was pacing the boudoir attached to her bedchamber as they entered. Charlotte knew her friend, who always seemed so outwardly confident and blasé, was secretly terrified of being judged and found wanting. She knew Esther surely thought it unbearable not to be acting the ringmaster of the preparations that were underway downstairs.

Charlotte approached her friend cautiously as one might a wild animal, greeting her as the pacing ceased and guided her to sit down. "You needn't worry so, Esther," she soothed lowly, "Everything downstairs looks wonderful, you are going to look wonder and I am sure all you guests will have a wonderful evening. Now, where did you lose that smirk we're all so fond of?" Madelaine and Alyona who had just arrived with their trunk nodded effusively in agreement as Charlotte reassured their hostess.

Esther merely scoffed at her friend's teasing and let out a final fretful breath before steeling her nerves and taking back control. She quickly instructed Lucy and Alyona to empty the trunk and hang the gowns to let out any creases until they were ready to dress. The two maids set to their task quickly and then went to collect a tray of refreshments while their mistresses gossiped through much of what remained of the afternoon until the light slowly began to fade and they turned their attentions from talking to toilette.

The ladies could her the musicians that had been employed for the evening setting up downstairs and tuning their instruments as Alyona and Lucy set to helping them prepare. The three ladies rotated between the two maids and staggered their turns at quickly refreshing themselves, cleansing their arms and faces of any gathered dirt. Once they were clean, Alyona would lace them into their corsets and then go about securing their gown and ensuring the fold of the skirts fell as they ought.

Lucy meanwhile was occupied with dressing their hair. Her own mistress, who wore a deep blue gown with an open overskirt edged with elaborate silver and gold embroidery, had elected for an elaborately braided bow knot that evening and would be decked with gold, diamond and sapphire jewellery.

Charlotte was next to suffer at the mercy of the French maid and spent some minutes convincing her that she was certain a simpler affair would complement her own gown far better than many of the currently fashionable styles. Eventually the two compromised and Charlotte's hair was coiled into a simple bun surrounded by a braided coronet and pinned in place with a simple gold and pearl comb generously lent to her by their hostess.

Madelaine opted for a similarly simple style as was her wont on most occasions and had a braided bun with a few stray curls escaping it to frame her face, though she too was kindly offered the use of some of Esther's many pieces of jewellery and, when faced with their prettiness, agreed to let Lucy place a few scattered jade hair pins.

The three ladies ventured downstairs and arrived in the entrance hall at the bottom of the staircase just as Lord Babington and Charlotte's brother, who had arrived some moments earlier, emerged from the billiards room where they had partaken each in a glass of brandy and a game as they waited for the women to venture down. Both men smiled besottedly at their wives, and somewhat less besottedly at his sister in Justin's case, and offered their arms to escort them through to the rooms where the ball was to be held.

The formal rooms of the ground floor which had been built to form an enfilade had been emptied of much of their furniture and were beautifully bedecked in the colours of spring and summer. The walls were strung with garlands in pastel and jewel tones, the heavy curtains covering the many windows to the front and rear of the house replaces with lighter drapes that had been drawn back to reveal candlelit displays in the gardens and to allow for movement around the terrace through the French Windows. The chandeliers in the formal dining and sitting rooms formed a glittering trail of light as the flames of the candles about the room reflected of the surface of their many crystals.

The large formal dining table had been replaced with several round tables allowing for a greater number of people to enjoy the evening meal that would be served later in the evening. The largest of the three sitting rooms that formed the enfilade had been cleared entirely to make space for the dances and the band of musicians had set up to one side of the room. The remaining sitting rooms had been filled with clusters of the smaller chairs and chaises relocated from other rooms of the house and tables of light refreshments that could be enjoyed throughout the evening.

In due course, the arrival of carriages could be heard drawing up to the front steps of Babington House and depositing their burdens into the care of their host and hostess. Charlotte, Madelaine and Justin retreated to one of the many clusters of chairs as Esther and Lord Babington positioned themselves to greet their guests as their arrivals were announced.

The first to arrive were an older couple accompanied by a younger gentleman whose back was the only part of him Charlotte could observe and a girl who could only be recently removed from the schoolroom. Given the familiarity of the greeting they received, Charlotte supposed they must be close friends if not the family of the couple. With no-one else yet present, they followed Esther's motion to join Charlotte and her family and it was quickly discovered that the younger gentleman was none other than Mr Fitzwilliam.

That gentleman was quick to make the introductions between his party and her own upon which she learned the older couple were his uncle and aunt, Sir and Lady Lanthorpe, who were cousins to Lord Babington through the lady, and their daughter, Miss Sophie Lanthorpe. The group were engaged in polite conversation as the rooms slowly filled with guests and Mr Fitzwilliam made particular effort to assure her that she needn't dance the first with him following the cessation of his pursuit of her. Charlotte assured him in kind that she felt no discomfort and, as her dance card was as yet still quite empty, she felt no need not to keep the prior engagement and was sure they could dance as friendly acquaintances only.

The conversation was then interrupted by the appearance of the rather large Howard, Levson-Gower and Somerset parties whom had all arrived in perfectly executed sequence. Susan, Harriet and Georgiana spotted the group with ease and corralled their companions in that direction with no little determination and proceeded to greet them in a most familiar fashion.

George, having been waylaid momentarily by another gentleman who had shared several of his classes at Cambridge, eyed the other gentleman with thinly veiled displeasure and, having greeted Mr Fitzwilliam curtly, endeavoured to monopolise Charlotte's attentions. Charlotte, having seen the greeting between the two men, recognised his ploy for what it was and laughed gaily at him without a care for who heard her.

"Sir, I do believe you are entirely too obvious in your dislike," she murmured lowly to the Viscount so as not to be heard by the secondary object of her humour. "It is visible on your countenance for all to see!" she teased.

Lord Morpeth's head snapped to look at her, a frozen, uncertain sort of look upon his features reminiscent of a child being scolded by their parent for misbehaving. "My apologies, Ma'am" he said at last, rather sheepishly at being caught out. Charlotte only laughed again and moved to direct his attention away from the perceived rival for her affections and into conversation with both their sisters.

The rooms opened for the ball filled quickly and it soon became apparent that the evening stood every chance of being labelled a brilliant success. Charlotte had made yet more new acquaintances; many she was introduced to by Esther or the Viscount himself as the elder ladies seemed quite content in the introductions they had made already. But, though that first part of the evening had indeed been pleasurable, Charlotte most eagerly anticipated the start of the dancing and was delighted to hear the music start up as Lord Babington escorted his wife into the larger space to open the evening.

With this announcement, Mr Fitzwilliam approached to partner her for the first set and outwardly seemed only slightly unsettled by the scowl on the Viscount's face. Charlotte accepted his arm and gave a parting smile to their friends as they went. George, upon recognising the strains of the music as matching _Jack's Maggot_ he consoled himself with the knowledge that this particular dance allowed little opportunity at speaking or any sort of intimacy.

Charlotte was delivered back to her family when the set ended and Mr Fitzwilliam bowed and went in search of his own relatives. Her second set was claimed by the Viscount's brother, Mr Frederick Howard, whose acquaintance she had previously met while her third, fourth and fifth had been reserved earlier in the evening by a Mr Holbourne, a Mr Croft and a Mr Lewis with whom she danced a combination of reels and cotillions. George sat brooding, ceasing this only to revel in Charlotte's smiles and teasing and disguised flirtation between sets and waited for the dinner set with rapidly waning patience.

The dinner set, when it came, was the _La Zeraphine_ quadrille that had been introduced the previous year followed by _The Maid of Avenel_. Both were lively and, though some of the dances where spent crossed with other pairs, they were equally together as not throughout.

The pair happily made their way into dinner on each other's arms and were pleased to find their other dinner partners pleasant company and a source of good conversation and lively humour and that the dinner served was rich and flavoursome and filling to the point of satiation but not to bursting. Discussions were had on a variety of current affairs of interest with each other and their respective neighbours though it must be observed that often they were inattentive to the communications of others as a result of their enamour with each other.

As the final course was cleared from the table and some of the guests began to drift back into the other rooms, Charlotte snapped open her fan, desirous of a cooling breeze to relieve the heat from the candles and the crush of bodies but otherwise content to remain as she was for a few moments more. Lord Morpeth however, having noticed the flush that graced her cheeks, suggested they might take advantage of the coolness of the evening air and retreat to the terrace for a time.

Charlotte readily agreed to this and placed her arm in the crook of his elbow as he guided her through the throng to the French Windows that had been thrown wide for just such a purpose as they sought. George led her towards a bench set in a slightly secluded area, protected from the view of others by carefully placed trellises, flowers and shrubbery.

They sat in comfortable silence, content to allow their thoughts to wander. The silence did not last long though for the Viscount turned to her set upon speaking only to pause at the sight of stray curls being blown across her nose and, in an uncharacteristically forward manner, moved to brush the lock away from her face and the words he meant to speak slipped from his mind.

Charlotte was brought out of her own thoughts as she felt the warm and slightly calloused skin of a hand that was not her own brush across her temple as it plucked at the curl that had escaped its braid. She turned her head to look at him only to let out a small breath of surprise at their closeness. Her eyes, which had been settled on his hand, darted up to meet his own, a bright spark flaring to life in them as she saw the tenderness his which hid a tightly reigned passion.

Charlotte swallowed dryly as his gaze returned to the lock of hair he still held in his fingers and reached to tuck it back into the confines of her coiffure. George coughed slightly and, knowing they could remain outside no longer without drawing undue attention to their absence, stood and offered his arm to her once more. Charlotte took a breath and placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet and escort her back inside.

"Might you allow me to partner you for the next, Miss Heywood?" He asked as they passed through the French Windows leading back into the house. Charlotte startled for a moment, wondering what he meant by asking for a third dance in a single evening but he interrupted her as she went to question him. "I do mean _as well_, Miss Heywood." He repeated firmly as he looked down at her and noticed her confusion. "And, if you would permit it, I should very much like to call upon you tomorrow. Alone, that is, with the hope that I will be speaking to your brother immediately afterwards." He pressed a most determined light emerging as their eyes met.

Charlotte could not contain her happy smile at hearing his words. "I would permit it, my Lord. I would very happily permit it." She accepted with a tremulous, shaking voice that betrayed the feelings within and was granted a happily triumphant smile in return.


	26. Chapter 26

Charlotte and George took their places for the seventh set of the evening, a minuet and another quadrille, both revelling in a mixture of nervousness and exaltation and anticipation of what was soon to come. The set finished far too quickly for their liking and Charlotte was quickly claimed for the eighth by the Baron Fortmarthen who was a tall, gangly, sallow fellow with an uneasy manner and, it quickly became evident by the frequency with which he stepped on her feet, little skill at dancing.

She was thankful that the ninth set was yet unclaimed and Lord Babington, who had been directed to partner her by his wife who desired a moments reprieve, was quite amenable to sitting it out so that Charlotte's suffering toes might stand a chance at recovering before the final set of the evening. Charlotte spent that time in conversation with Esther and Lord Babington and various other individuals who approached for brief conversations. The Viscount appeared at her shortly after the close of the ninth set for which he had been partnered with a friend of one of sisters.

Lord Morpeth paced a flute of champagne in her hands as Lord and Lady Babington called for quiet and made a toast to spring and the coming summer, inviting all gathered to join them in a drink. Following this the strains of _La Belle Assemble_ could be heard as couples ventured to dance the final set and it was to disapproving and conspiratorial whispers and murmurs that Charlotte and George took their places for a third time that evening. The minuet that formed the first part of the set, which would be formed of three dances than two gave way to the _Waltz in Don Giovani_ and then the _King of Hearts Waltz_. Both waltzes were very definitely couples dances allowing as they did for greater contact between dancers with hands placed about the waists of one's partner and with a great deal of turning and minimal crossing involved.

While the pair were dancing, the many observers could be heard commenting on the behaviour of a couple who, though widely acknowledged to be courting, were not formally engaged. There were mixed opinions as to the desired event that would follow their actions: friends and family chose not to worry overmuch, certain as they were in George and Charlotte's attachment to each other. Many of the young debutantes and society matrons clucked and tutted and desired the girl be abandoned by the desirable bachelor while those who held no vested interest could only hope their actions would not result in further scandal.

Charlotte and the Viscount were, of course, oblivious to all this and perfectly content to lose themselves in the intimacy of the dances and their usual light teasing of each other. They were sorely disheartened when the notes of the tune accompanying the final dance of the evening drifted to a halt and indicated that the ball was approaching its close.

Though they remained and were among the last guests to leave, they parted reluctantly that evening and hoped the morning would come swiftly as they retired to bed in their respective homes and fell into the arms of waiting slumber.

Morning did indeed come quickly for it was late when they had returned home the prior evening, though in truth it had been morning then already. Charlotte dressed quickly in a simple day dress of white muslin printed with closely spaces green flowers and ornamented only by a green sash at the waist and after enjoying a light breakfast ventured out with Alyona to collect some parcels she intended to send back to Willingden and Walcot Hall for her family and tenants with the morning post.

Upon their return to Fitzroy Square later that morning, The Viscount had already arrived and was waiting with her brother and sister in the sitting room.

"Justin, I hope the post hasn't been sent off yet, there are things I want to add to it." She called out as she entered the room while removing her bonnet, Alyona trailing behind, parcels in hand. She froze for a moment as she noticed Lord Morpeth was among the group who had all stood as she arrived. "Lord Morpeth… we did not expect you so early, Sir." She greeted and, in realising her error, rushed to add, "Which isn't to say you are unwelcome because of course you are" but the last words drifted off quietly, knowing that she was surely only making herself appear more awkward rather than less.

"Ah, I must beg your forgiveness Miss Heywood. I had meant to arrive at a more sociable hour but I could not bring myself to wait any longer. You look very well this morning; you are not tired after last night exercise?" The Viscount admitted though seemed rather unapologetic in his apology.

"There is nothing to forgive, Sir, and I thank you. I have only been collecting some things I hope to send home to my family for several of my siblings have birthdays over the coming weeks and there are some items my father asked me to purchase for our tenants while I am in Town that cannot be got locally. And you remain well too, I hope?" She dismissed his concern and responded eagerly as she moved to sit.

"Yes! Yes, very well indeed." There was a pregnant pause as the conversation halted, Charlotte knowing what he was about but knowing not what to say and George desiring to speak but having a great deal to say that was better spoken of privately. Justin Heywood and his wife recognised the tension that was growing the room for what it was and made their excuses and apologies, though these were appallingly flimsy, and retreated temporarily from the room though straying little farther than the bench placed in the hallway for waiting visitors.

George stood as they left the room, pacing about the chairs and alternating between sitting and standing for several moments before eventually settling on standing before her. "Miss Heywood, my purpose today will, I hope, come as no surprise to you." He paused here, attempting to gauge her reaction nervously and she smiled fondly at his unusual uncertainty. "I have, for some time now, known that my days and moods are made brighter by your presence" he continued.

"I am of the most decided opinion that your smile outshines the sun itself and your laugh sweeter than the pleasantest bird-song I ever heard. And though we have not been known to each other for so long as others might, these months since I first made your acquaintance have been among my happiest and have brought me a great many treasured memories. Miss Heywood, Charlotte if I may, my dearest, I can only tell you now that nothing should please me more than if you would accept the hand I offer you today and agree to tie yourself to me as my wife." He concluded and waited for her response anxiously with bated breath.

Charlotte could all but feel her heart trying to leap from her chest at hearing his admiration of her put to words. She opened her mouth to respond, to tell him that _yes, of course she accepted him_, but the words would not come. She settled for grinning beatifically, reaching her hands out to grasp his own and nodding effusively.

George let out a relieved sigh as he took her waiting hands in his own, lifting them up and placing a tender kiss to her knuckles. "You make my days brighter, to, my Lord, brighter than ever they have been before." Charlotte whispered as she shifted to lay a palm against his check and rest her forehead against his where he had come to kneel before her during his declaration.

As their eyes met they smiled and George pressing a single, gentle but appropriately chaste kiss to her lips before standing once more and helping her to her feet as her brother and sister had slipped back into the drawing room and made their presence known with a quiet cough. The couple turned to look at the other pair as they offered tentative congratulations and accepted these readily.

The Viscount remained but an hour longer, sat beside his betrothed on a blue chaise and talking of weddings and flowers and breakfasts. Which is to say that the ladies were speaking of such things and laughing at the outrageous suggestions of Reignette who had burst into the room demanding to know who the stranger was that prevented her favourite aunt from playing with her. The gentlemen, on the other hand, were quite lost and resorted to nodding and murmuring uncertain agreements which they might soon come to regret.

Lord Morpeth, having gained her father's direction from her brother during the course of their earlier conversation, went on his way with purpose, intending, as he did, to call at his attorney's offices in Cheapside to instruct the man on drawing up the marriage articles. These he hoped to present to the elder Mr Heywood when he called to Willingden in the coming days to seek his approval of the match with his daughter. Though, both being above one and twenty and of an age to exercise independence, they did not strictly need the consent of her father to wed but he should prefer it all the same.

His business was handled quickly and the papers would be delivered to Carlisle House the next day in time for his departure. Hoping his trip would be of short duration, he was eager to be gone and returned that he might continue to revel in the attentions of his lovely Charlotte. He was, now, as much hers and she was his and would entertain no notion from any quarter that she was not worthy of him though he was not fool enough to believe it would not be said regardless and by even his own relations. Well, they would eat their words when the marriage was heralded by the papers later that month and all chances at dissuading them from each other would cease to hold weight.

George returned to Carlisle House in the late afternoon with high spirits apparent to all and the cause of his pleasure apparent to most. He delighted in first withholding and then with much persuasion summarily declaring his news to those of his family as were gathered for the evening, among which were numbered his mother and lord father, all of his unmarried sister and those of his brothers what were not away at school or university, his nearest sibling by birth, the Lady Caroline. Most unusually, his cousin, Lady Susan, who rarely ventured to Carlisle House outside of her mother's company, had chosen that day to visit with his sisters and so would join them for dinner.

The family enjoyed a joyous meal that night and the evening was spent in discussions of romance and dresses and ponderous predictions for the wedding amongst congratulations by the women and talks of settlements and where they intended to live once they were married and teasing for the loss of his bachelorhood and freedom by the gentlemen who were significantly fewer in number than the ladies.

George retired to bed earlier than his family amid feelings of hopeful anticipation that the initial settlement contract would be delivered early and he could be on his way before the sun was past the peak of noon. His hopes were not to be met, however. The documents were delivered little more than an hour before the sun began to drop below the rooves of the houses lining the streets of Mayfair and George could not sensibly depart at such an hour with the encroaching darkness so was forced to postpone his departure to the following morning.

Acknowledging this he left instructions with a groom to have his horse readied by ten of the clock and with his valet to wake him early and to ignore his protests to the smallness of the hour. Such it was that he was woken, dressed and fed the following morning with speed and departed with only his valet to accompany him before any but the earliest risers of the household had even contemplated leaving their beds.

Willingden was perhaps two days travel from Town when one was transported by carriage and several hours less than that by horse for the great majority of journeys. George made the journey in a most remarkable time and his horse's speed and stamina were such that he arrived to the village that took it's name from the old house Charlotte called home which was situated some fifteen miles from the Sussex coast just as the sun could be seen setting over the sea on the far horizon.

Given the already great progression of the day, he determined to take a room at the inn on the edge of the village and venture to Willingden on the morrow. The inn was an old building of Baroque design and some parts of it in states of disrepair with a generally ill-kept exterior yet the rooms within were, if simple, well appointed, warm and clean with the lingering smell of fresh baked breads and wildflowers. George spent a restful night in a large private chamber where a second cot had been placed for his valet's use.

When morning came he broke his fast at a later hour with a simple meal of bread and cured meats and freshly pressed juice and was well enough able to bide his time until a more appropriate calling hour by subsequently perusing the stores and business offered by the village folk. As morning merged into afternoon, he returned to the inn for a repast of light pastries, berries and ale before venturing forth to impose himself upon the Heywoods.

Willingden, when he came upon it, made for an unusual view. The original house was distinctly Tudor in origin with great exposed beams, crosshatched windowpanes and a patchwork of terracotta, clay and slate roof tiles. Some later Elizabethan and Jacobean additions could also be seen from his present vantage and granted the house a peculiar character which, when taken the gardens that had been maintained in just such a way as to appear in a sort of tamed wildness, brought to mind a child's puzzle box.

He spent no further time perplexing over the old house, instead spurring his horse down the sloped lane on the front approach. A groom emerged from round the side of the main building to take his horse having heard the animal's hoofbeats and anticipated a visitor. George released his mount, a young stallion by the name of Carridae Bounty, whose mother he had purchased as a gift for his sister upon her wedding only to discover some weeks later that the mare's temperament made for a poor ladies mount and was growing broader across the flank, to the boy before stepping to knock at the door and make his arrival known to the family.

He was met at the door by a dour-faced old man with hanging jowls, merry eyes and a great many broken blood vessels across his nose and cheeks that spoke of either heavy drinking or numerous past encounters with violence. The Heywoods' butler was an odd sight to be sure, but well matched to the house he served.

George passed his hat and great coat to the man as he asked after the master of the house and, when informed that the family was out and given the choice to wait or return at another hour, he gave his name and card and elected for the former whereupon he was shown to a small and simply decorated parlour and brought a tray of tea.

The Viscount was grateful he was not left waiting overlong before the family, in their great number, could be heard noisily returning from their excursion and the butler made the master and mistress of the house aware of their visitor and his location.

Lord Morpeth stood as the older couple entered the room amidst the boisterousness of their children and grandchildren, looking more than a little concerned at presence of a peer in their modest homestead. The children who followed them into parlour quickly picked up on the less than usually pleasant atmosphere and anxiety of their parents and guest and shepherded the youngest out of the house and granting the much preferred quiet this meeting warranted.

"I would suppose that you are Lord Morpeth, Sir?" Mr Heywood clarified, uncertain as to the man's purpose in calling on strangers with whom he was not acquainted. George who had stood at their entrance, stumbled out something resembling an agreement and, coughing to settle the shaking of his voice and hands, confirmed that _yes, that was he_ and bowed respectfully to his hosts.

"May we enquire as to your purpose in being here, my Lord, for I can claim no reason known to me?"

"Yes! Of course, as you should, sir! That is to say I did not expect you to know my purpose…" he trailed off, unsure of the manner in which it would be best to continue until he resolved to simply state his intention bluntly. "My name is George Howard, Viscount Morpeth and heir to my Father Lord Howard, Earl of Carlisle and I intend to wed your daughter, Sir. I come here today to ask for your blessing." And promptly resumed his silence awaiting the response of the elder gentleman who stood before him.

"My daughter, Sir?" he confirmed and, at the Viscount's nod, continued to say, "I wonder at your asking my blessing to wed her but not to previously court her, my Lord?"

"I sought and received permission from Miss Heywood's brother in town upon our meeting once more, having first met during her Visit to Moscow with Lady Worcester and where I accompanied my uncle for the imperial coronation. However, my family is an old one and it is unusual for our members to wed without the permissions of the fathers of our brides regardless of her age or the gaining of adequate consent from another male relative." George explained.

"I see. Well then, I suppose we must retire to my study and discuss the particulars of it all. I will assume you have with you a copy the papers to review." He said and turned swiftly striding through the door to a different part of the house clearly expecting the younger man to follow. George did. He gave another bow to Mrs Heywood who yet remained a little stunned and left the parlour in its master's wake.

They Heywood's estate was small by comparison to its neighbours containing only the manor house, home farm, two tenant farms and a working orchard which supplied fruit such as apples, pears and plums to the surrounding towns and villages. Tenant rents and the profits from the home farm and orchard brought in a fluctuating income that typically averaged in the region of £3000. The estates prosperity was such that, had they had fewer children, they might have found it a comfortable living without expending further investments.

But, with the birth of their eleventh surviving child, it was soon evident that £3000 a year was not sufficient to meet the most immediate needs of their family let alone to dower their five daughters, fund the educations of their six, which would soon become seven, sons in addition to the necessary expenditures to maintain any estate. Mr Heywood then poured all moneys that could be spared into a series of expeditious investments. His good sense in the choice of investments reaped plentiful rewards to such an extent that the initial sum of £280 was returned threefold in a short six months and had continued to grow in the six years since.

One of these investments had been with the James Watt & Co Foundry in Birmingham and one of less monetary benefits of this could be seen in the lightness of the well-lit, darkly panelled room the two gentlemen now found themselves in. The study was a small room with a desk and chair before the single window, the east and north walls, lined by large bookshelves, had two leather reading chairs either side of a chess table tucked into the north-east corner by the fireplace and a series of gas lamps placed at intervals along the walls completed the atmosphere.

Mr Heywood sat behind the desk and gestured for the Viscount to pull one of the chairs up to the other side of the functional wooden construction with an expression that made George feel as though he ben thrown back to a time when the most intimidating of experiences was being disciplined by his Head Master at Eton.

He pulled the papers from an inner pocket of his coat and laid them on the surface of the desk before him. Mr Heywood picked up the papers, unfolded them and set to reading them. For a time, there was silence; filled with tension for Lord Morpeth and careful concentration for Mr Heywood.

At length, the papers were laid down once more and Mr Heywood linked his fingers, resting his chin upon his knuckles and his forefingers upon his lips as he considered the gentleman who sat on the other side of the desk. He nodded minutely, pleased with his study and what he found before lowering his hands to rest atop the papers.

"These are very thorough, my Lord." He said at last. "I cannot argue with much of their contents, for they provide very well indeed for my daughter and any daughters or younger sons she may have by you." Mr Heywood was certainly willing to agree to all but a small number of the terms laid out withing the settlement.

The Viscount had clearly detailed that Charlotte's dowry would be added to the lump sum of his personal fortune that was held in the four per cents and would be returned to her control in it's entirety should she outlive him and that she could will it to whomever she pleased at her discretion upon her own death. Where she predeceased him, it would be used to purchase an estate for their third son, the heir and second being provided for already by the property held by his own family which currently included at least one unentailed estate, or otherwise for their eldest unmarried daughter.

Charlotte would be provided a generous pin allowance of £300 per anum and this would be in addition to a household budget under her express control for the domestic management of Morpeth Terrace, where they would reside in London until such a time as he succeeded his father as the Earl when they would remove to Carlisle House, and for Walcot Hall. Charlotte would also retain the ownership and full authority of that estate and had instructed his attorney to detail this in such a way as to make it legally binding.

Their future daughters would each be dowered with a minimum sum of £25,000 that would be set aside in trust at their birth and, funds allowing, this would increase by the time they were of an age to wed. Where their daughters chose not to wed before their eight and twentieth birthdays, the sum of their dowries would be released to them.

Each son who was not provided for with an estate and a monetary inheritance reflecting that estate would be granted a sum of £65,000 upon his death and, as with the daughters' dowries, would be held in trust until his death. Each son would be entitled to an annual allowance of £600 until their majorities and would be expected to live within the means provided.

Charlotte would be free to reside in whichever of their properties throughout her life after his death as she pleased. All jewellery purchased for and gifted to her throughout their marriage would be hers to keep and subsequently bequeath as she pleased in death. Jewellery already belonging to the Howard family would go to the eldest son for the use of future countesses.

"I notice however, that you have not stated a sum when accounting for her dowry."

"Ah… No Sir. I'm afraid I can only claim to be ignorant of the details of the extent of your daughter's dowry."

Mr Heywood's brows rose in surprise at this admission. "You would marry her without knowing her worth?"

"I would, Sir. In truth, her dowry makes very little difference to my decision. I am capable enough of ensuring she and our children are provided for comfortably and within the terms of the settlement independently of my family's wealth. I know she owns an estate and fortune in her own right that brings a very comfortable income itself and that is more valuable than a dowry in providing for our future children." George explained.

"Even if I were to be outlived by my father, our eldest son, should we be blessed with one in that time, would become the Viscount Morpeth in my place and all daughters already born would be provided for already according to the settlement's minimum terms. The only complication which would then arise would be whether our eldest son honours the settlement and gives a second son the named estate or if the second son would take the place of the third son and the third son would then receive the same as any other younger sons."

Mr Heywood nodded at this and continued. "You are very fortunate to be in such a position. Regardless of all that however, Charlotte has a dowry of £7,000 which shall come with her into your marriage. The sum will need to be stipulated. Now, there was mentioned allowance provisions for younger sons. What will be their allowance after reaching their majority? And what of the daughters?"

George proceeded to inform Mr Heywood that they would receive the £600 from the time they are of an age to start their schooling until they are one and twenty at which time they would gain control of the interest of the fortunes set aside for them. This was with the exception of the eldest son who would be given control of the same estate the Viscount currently held and would be expected to live within the means granted by that estate which was something near £4000 in income each year.

The daughters would have pin money in the range of £100 to £150 pounds until their entrance into society when this would increase to £200 and they would each be entitled to that allowance until they married or reached their eighth and twentieth birthdays.

"Very good, very good. It seems that all is in order and I can hardly do much else but wish you both the greatest happiness." Mr Heywood offered his hand to the Viscount and the two men shook on it.

Author's Note: Whoaa... Longest chapter yet at over 4,700 words! I'd love to hear your thoughts so please do review and share them with me!


	27. Chapter 27

George and Charlotte's engagement was an unusual one. It seemed their courtship had occurred all out of order and the only new benefit they discovered was an increased tolerance for occasional slips in propriety. They were now granted numerous moments alone with one another, though these rarely lasted more than a few short minutes and were never so long as to allow much beyond a stolen kiss or two away from watchful eyes.

The couple continued to take every opportunity to be in each other's company, chaperoned and unchaperoned and spread their continued courtship throughout the many streets of London as they delighted in pleasurable pursuits. They ventured to Hyde Park several times over those weeks where they would wall or ride or sometimes simply sit and talk and watch as the world passed them by.

George took Charlotte to the Pot and Pineapple which was a confectionary parlour in easy walking distance of Berkeley Square where she had her first experience of iced creams. They had prowled the aisles of Hatchards in discussion over their preferred books and authors, viewed the talents of artists at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition and enjoyed a visit to the National Gallery. Charlotte and her Viscount also spent many hours in Vauxhall Gardens, forming countless fond and secretly kept memory of their escape into the darker walkways.

A very great deal of Charlotte's remaining time during those three weeks was taken up with wedding plans.

A wedding dress had been commissioned with Lady Howard's favoured dress maker at the elder Mr Heywood's expense and he would arrive the Saturday prior to ceremony when he would settle the accounts during his visit.

Charlotte had spent many hours debating over fashion plates and fabrics and trimmings to create a gown that befit a day of such personal import but that would not go to waste with only a single wear. Having chosen to obtain the fabrics themselves through her brother's businesses, where she happily enjoyed discounted prices, the ladies ventured forth, several for the first time, to the younger Mr Heywood's warehouses that were located but a short distance from his home.

Such was the variety of choice available to them that it took a second visit to determine the fabrics that would best suit Charlotte's colouring and were of appropriately excellent quality.

It was eventually decided that Charlotte would wear a two layered gown with an underdress of light coloured teal silk with embroidered silver vine patterns and a sheer overdress with a long train and dark teal embroidery down the length of it in the same pattern though it began with sparsely scattered leaved with slowly gathered into vines as they move toward the hem. The dress would be secured at the waist by a pearl studded sapphire blue sash.

She had initially been inclined towards more golden colours but was persuaded otherwise by Lady Howard, though her reasons were not divulged. Charlotte purchased a simple bonnet trimmed in a light blue velvet of similar colour to her underdress and trimmed with a navy ribbon to which some flowers from her bouquet of bluebells, white sweet peas and ivy could be added, choosing to forego a veil. New gloves and shoes were not needed for she had several pairs of cream and white evening gloves and a lovely pair of shoes in warm navy velvet.

Charlotte did not intend to wear any significant amount of jewellery and was content to make use of what was already in her possession over purchasing anything new and had already in mind that she might wear a simple silver cross she had had since childhood and would likely pair well with whatever ring the Viscount presented her with on the day. The final garment that commissioned was a simple cream pelisse with golden knotwork trimming on the hem and shoulders. After all, one never knew what weather was in store and this was never truer than in the month of May in England.

The wedding garments themselves were not the only items ordered from the modistes and milliners and shoemakers. The Ladies, and most particularly her soon to be mother-in-law, had been insistent that she was in need of several new day dresses and evening gowns. What she presently had did very well for a country gentlewoman of independent means but finer things would be needed after her marriage for those times when she entertained and was entertained by more august circles.

So it was that as many as seven new day dresses, four evening gowns, three pelisses and spencer jackets, two riding habits, two travelling cloaks, and all the undergarments and hosiery that were necessary had also been ordered amidst Charlotte's protests at the expense. However, she could not deny that the new contents of her wardrobe were very lovely indeed.

They had quickly settled upon a date and would be married the Monday following the third Sunday of May and the final readings of the bans. The couple were to be wed from St George's Church where the bans would be read for the parish in which the Viscount resided while in London. The bans would also be read at the St Marylebone Parish Church as the church which Charlotte attended while living with her brother. The two churches would communicate whether the bans had been challenged and the result of that challenge following the final reading.

The bans were read each week without issue as the date of the wedding drew ever nearer and was awaited with great anticipation. Charlotte had written the invitations and sent these to a small group of their friends and family. The Viscount's immediate family would be in attendance at the ceremony along with Lord and Lady Granville and their eldest daughter, Lady Susan and the Babingtons.

Charlotte's father was expected to give her away and would bring with him her sister Anne, who would stand as the bridemaid and witness while George's brother Frederick would stand as best man and the second witness. Charlotte's guests would be completed with Justin and Madelaine and young Reignette who would take on the simple duties of the flower girl.

The engagement had become more widely known following speculation in the society pages of the papers the day after Esther's ball but was not formally acknowledged until the first reading of the bans on the first Sunday. It was celebrated not with a large dinner party or ball but on more intimate terms just days before the wedding itself with a supper shared by family and friends at Carlisle House.

* * *

It was in fact through the speculations and subsequent announcement in the papers that the Parkers of Sanditon learned of Charlotte's engagement and marriage. Tom and Mary Parker received a copy of the Times from London every day, though it was not unusual for their learning of the events of Town to be a few days delayed than those who were presently residing in the city.

Regardless, every morning when the papers came, Mary took the society pages while Tom perused the sports, business and politics contained within. It was as they were undertaking this daily ritual that Mr Parker heard his wife let out an astounded gasp.

"What is it Mary?" Mr Parker enquired of his wife.

"Tom, our Charlotte is engaged to be married!" Mrs Parker divulged. "It says it right here in the society pages" She tapped her finger against the notice in question.

"Charlotte?"

"Yes, Tom. Miss Heywood, surely you haven't forgotten!" She despaired.

"No! Of course not, my dear. But Charlotte? Engaged? How wonderful for her. But to whom, does it say?" Tom questioned in his usual enthusiastic and energetic manner.

"Well it is only speculation not an official announcement but it mentions a Viscount Morpeth as being a most devoted suitor and that the society in town anticipates wedding bells before the season is out." Mary recounted skimming the section to check her understanding was correct. "But, oh dear, do you think we ought to tell Sidney? Surely you remember how attached he seemed to have become to Miss Haywood when she stayed with us that summer." She worried.

"I know not if that would be for the best, dear Mary. My brother has had a difficult time these past years and I think it is only since our little nephew was born that his heart has started to open itself up once more." Mr Parker mused in a rare moment of seriousness. "Given the current state of things between Sidney and Eliza, perhaps we'd best not mention it yet."

Mary looked like to argue her husband's thinking for a moment but then ceded to his uncommon display of sense. He was right. It would do no good to raise something which was only a rumour to his attention when the good will between her brother-in-law and his wife was presently so tenuous.

When the wedding announcement featured in the papers three weeks later, this conversation was much mirrored then, though Sidney Parker was to learn of it himself in due course, regardless of their interference or otherwise.

* * *

Back in Town, Mr Heywood had arrived and that family were seated in the pews of the St Marylebone Parish Church as the final bans were read in advance of the sermon by the priest. It was with no little relief that Charlotte departed the Sunday service with brief words to the priest and curate and final parting goodbyes to several of their friends in Town who she was not likely to see again in some months at least.

Mr Heywood had settled the accounts with the modiste and other businesses they had frequented in preparing for the next day and only a few final touches remained. Her new bonnet needed to be trimmed with flowers in preparation for the chance of rain, though that would be done in the morning before she dressed, and the numbers and menu for the wedding breakfast following the ceremony needed confirming and a note sent to Carlisle House to that effect. The most pressing work yet to be done, however, was the packing of her wardrobe.

What little of her clothing that had been left behind at Willingham had been sorted through by her mother and sister and sent to her brother's house or to Walcot hall. The division was largely that her clothes and many of her less immediately necessary effects went to Walcot Hall while any jewellery, some books and other similar items had been sent to Town with her father and sister.

Fortunately, these things had been safely stored away in a single chest and did not presently need worrying over. It was the great many gowns and accessories and undergarments and bathing odds and ends that concerned her now. For how was she to pack it all in a single afternoon?

The entire household thanked the very heavens that Alyona and her brother's household staff were efficient in their duties. They had spent the morning before attending services determining which of her dresses and gowns she was likely to need soonest after the wedding during the first few days in her new home at Morpeth Terrace and then during the time they were due to spend on their honeymoon travels.

The difficulty Charlotte had with this was that she had not been made privy to Lord Morpeth's plans for their trip, knowing only that she should ensure her clothes provided warmth and comfort and that they would not be leaving until the Friday. In the end the two women had settled on a combination of her older, more serviceable gowns and a number of her new gowns which had arrived at Fitsroy Square earlier in the week while what remained to be completed would be sent directly to her new residence.

Her favourite of her new day dresses was made of a lovely blue and cream striped material with cream ribbons adding decoration to the hem, sleeves and waist. She also very much admired a dress that reminded her a little of the pictures she had seen of old medieval and renaissance gowns in purple, cream and gold. There were other day dresses in greens, browns, creams and yet more blues.

The evening gowns were a good deal more elaborate than most any other she owned. These had been acquired in a range of vibrant colours such as golden orange and yellow as well as more subtle natural colours. The riding habits were a bold green and blue with the pelisses and spencer jackets and cloaks in several shades from grey to red to purple to amber.

It can hardly be surprising that the rest of that day passed with much activity and business with little time for sadness at everything she would leave behind. Which is not to say that there were not tearful reminiscences in the evening hours during dinner and before the family retired to bed. There was in truth a great deal of this in those short hours they had left to spend together, for things would not remain the same. Charlotte would be mistress of her own homes, a wife with responsibilities that far outnumbered any her mother or sisters had faced in their own marriages.

And in time she would also become mother to children of her own and her responsibilities would grow then and yet again as she transitioned from Viscountess to Countess. There would be comparatively little time to spend visiting with her family and, though she would not stray from the path she had found herself on for all the riches in England, she would be sorry to lose any of the closeness with her parents and siblings and her sister especially that she had so enjoyed in her life.


	28. Chapter 28

WARNING: Sexual content in this chapter. Please skip from the tour to the line break if you don't want to read it.

* * *

Charlotte woke with the sun the next morning as Alyona entered her bedroom with a light breakfast tray and a smile. A chambermaid followed behind her lugging a bucket of steaming water and disappeared into the dressing room to begin the process of filling the copper tub that had been placed in there the day before.

Charlotte tumbled out of bed and sat the small writing table to enjoy a breakfast of tea and toast as attempted to settle her nerves. Her whole life would change today and nothing was ever going to be quite the same. Her two sisters entered her chamber sleepily as she ate and served themselves with tea from the pot despite their preference for different blends than Charlotte's favourite.

The women chatted as they waited for the bath to be filled and raptured over the recent additions to Charlotte's wardrobe and Anne debated which jewellery she should wear for she did not agree with Charlotte's choice. Madelaine kept her silence on this topic for she knew that neither of her sisters' choices would be the ones that were worn that day. She had been quietly tasked with ensuring Charlotte wore something simple, that could be removed and kept safely with ease, and was of the mind that the pearl cross and earrings her sister had already determined on were the best choice to achieve this.

Charlotte slipped into the bath which had been filled and the water scented with flowery oils. She cleansed herself and washed her hair with plain soap, thankful that, despite its thickness, it dried quickly after becoming wet.

Once clean, she was helped into the first layer of her garments, namely her chemise, stockings and corset which was fortunately a simple construction and laced only loosely for the figure of her dress did not require the absolute crushing of her lungs. Charlotte was lucky to have a healthy complexion, though it was somewhat browner than was vogue, with little marking left behind from childhood illnesses as to make cosmetics largely unnecessary.

Her hair was then dressed with a thick braided coronet at the crown of her head and a few ringlets left loose to frame her face and soften the look. Some the smaller flowers from the white sweet peas in her bouquet were secured into the coronet with bronze pins matched to the shade of her dark hair. Simple pearl drop earrings and the pearl cross were added to her ears and neck before she stood and was helped into her dress and shoes by Alyona and her sisters.

Her sisters had retreated to their own chambers to dress and hurry the men along while Charlotte had been bathing and submitting to the styling talents of her maid. They had since returned, each dressed in lavender purple for Anne and grassy spring green for Madelaine, though the latter's dress was cut to accommodate her progressing pregnancy with a larger number of folds in the skirt.

They had returned with Reignette in tow just as Alyona finished securing the back of her dress. The women all then happily set to securing a small number of bluebell and sweet pea buds to Reignette's bonnet and depriving some wildflowers of their petals to fill her basket alongside the herbs and seeds intended to bring fertility to a union that would later be scattered as the newly wed couple departed the church.

By the time they were finished, it was approaching ten of the clock and the family departed with haste for St George's as the ceremony drew nearer. There were no crowds or noise outside the church when they arrived and the inside was equally quiet and solemn as the guests took their places in the pews and George, Anne and Frederick stood before the alter. George looked bit the dashing lord, his head adorned with a tall top hat and dressed in the white shirt, cravat, dark coat and knee breeches and stockings that were typical of a gentleman's formal wear though his coat was of a dark royal blue velvet and his breeches a light camel buff in place of the standard black.

Charlotte had been met outside the church by Lady Howard who had presented her with a beautiful set of diamond, sapphire and silver jewellery and instructed her daughter-in-law to remove the cross and earrings she wore and pass them to Madelaine for keeping. The Countess then deftly placed the new necklace in its place, electing to keep the bracelet and earrings in the case and arranged a sparkling matching kokoshnik tiara on her head, pinning in place a lacy veil that swept over her hair and down her back.

The only warning given that the bride had arrived was the arrival of her relatives and the second opening of the doors as she was escorted to her groom on the arm of her father. The priest began to read the ceremony for the solemnisation of marriage from the book of common prayer upon Charlotte and her father reaching the alter to stand with the groom and witnesses before him.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church.

"And therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

"First, it was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy Name. Secondly, it was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication.

"Thirdly, it was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore, if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace."

The priest paused here then turned to address George and Charlotte as he continued. "I require and charge you both, that if either of you know any impediment, why you may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, you do now confess it." Again he paused and, when no one answered, continued once more, addressing Lord Morpeth.

"George, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep only unto her, so long as you both shall live?" And George answered that he would as he looked to his bride.

The priest turned then to address Charlotte. "Charlotte, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep only unto him, so long as you both shall live?" And, of course, Charlotte answered that she would.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the priest asked of the congregation. Mr Heywood stood and stepped forward from his seat in the front pew and took his daughter's hand in his. The priest accepted the bride's hand from her father and bid the groom to take her hand in his to repeat the vows.

"I, George, take thee, Charlotte, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth." George repeated first after the priest's example before releasing Charlotte's hand. The priest then directed Charlotte to take the Viscount's hand for the saying of her own vows.

"I Charlotte, take thee, George, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth." She took his hand and spoke softly as she made her promises to him.

George then took the ring presented to him upon the book of common prayer and placed it upon the fourth finger of Charlotte's left hand as he spoke once more. "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen"

With this, George and Charlotte knelt before priest and alters as a prayer was said. "O, eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind: Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy Name; so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." And, joining their hands once more, said "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

"Forasmuch as George and Charlotte have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by the giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Psalms were then sung, blessing their marriage with prosperity, fertility, happiness and felicity. On the conclusion of the ceremony, the new Lord and Lady Morpeth went separately to Holy Communion and were forgiven and blessed a final time that morning as they partook of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The business of signing their names and the names of the witnesses in the parish register was completed quickly and the certificate of marriage given to Charlotte for her personal keeping as was customary for all brides that they might always be able to prove their status as a wife.

George and Charlotte then left the church behind and proceeded up the path to the carriages that waited outside with Reignette scattering petals and seeds before them and their families following after them in good cheer. They were waved off by the crowd with merry calls and gestures as they made their way to Carlisle House for the wedding breakfast.

They were greeted upon their arrival in Berkeley square by neighbours calling out well wishes and were descended upon once emerging into the house by those members of the family and other close friends who had not been present at the wedding itself. They there remained for several hours, enjoying the food on offer and conversing with those gathered as further traditions were satisfied such as the cutting of the cake which was white iced and topped with sugar frosted fruits. Some guests took to the piano and Lord Worcester had brought along his violin so dancing was to be had inside and out.

It was late afternoon when Charlotte and George left the revelry behind and departed for Morpeth Terrace which was situated near Whitehall and not half a mile from St James' Park. The new Viscountess was introduced to the staff of Morpeth Terrace all of whom stood waiting on the steps approaching the front door in two tidy lines. Alyona had arrived at Morpeth Terrace shortly after the wedding ceremony concluded and Charlotte smiled to see her there.

Charlotte and George retreated into the old Jacobean house that had been the London home of the Earls of Carlisle from their ascension to the title in 1661 under King Charles II until the construction of the newer Carlisle House in 1784. George gave Charlotte a tour of the house.

The tour had begun below stairs with the servants' quarters and appropriate domestic offices along with the laundry room and wine cellar. They had then progressed through the kitchen, large formal dining room, library, formal drawing room and morning or breakfast room of the ground floor, a second drawing room, music room, and the gallery to be found on the first floor with the nursery, remaining family rooms and guest rooms on the second floor and in the garret space but below the attics. The tour then culminated with a return to the first floor where the master's and mistress' chambers where located.

George shucked his coat and top hat, reaching up to loosen his cravat as they entered the small sitting area separating the two bedchambers, leaving him in only his breeches, waistcoat and shirtsleeves before turning to take his bride in his arms. "Well, Lady Morpeth, what say you? Shall we be happy enough here, wife?"

Charlotte leant into his embrace and smiled delightfully up at her new _husband_. "oh yes, my Lord! I believe we shall do very nicely indeed, husband." She returned with the same teasing tone and stood taller as he bent to give her what would the first of many passionate kisses.

"Come, my lovely Charlotte, let me show you the mistress' chambers." George said, pulling back as he picked her up and walked with her in his arms across the threshold of one the doors set into opposite walls. Charlotte giggled as he set her down once more on the soft, carpeting that surrounded a large bed set against the wall facing the door and lit by the fading light that slipped through partially drawn drapes over the windows.

The candles throughout both chambers had already been lit in anticipation of their arrival and the bedchamber was bathed a soft glow that chased the shadows into the corners of the room and, with the arrangements of flowers at the dressing table and decorating the large fireplace, leant it a lovely romantic atmosphere.

Charlotte took in all this in the space of a heartbeat as her nerves made themselves known once more. She knew what came next. Her sisters had spoken to her a few days before on the things that occurred privately between a husband and wife. They had taken especial care to explain that, though it would hurt the first time, it would not always be that way; not if her husband was a good man and not wholly inexperienced himself. She was not afraid of it but she worried that she might not be good enough or own insecurity would overwhelm her.

As she stood with her back to him, George laid a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. He reached up a plucked the tiara from her head and setting on the dressing table beside them, setting loose the veil it secured over her hair before circling around to remove the necklace and pins and flowers that controlled her dark curls. Then, stood once more before her, pulled the untied lengths of his cravat from around his neck and threw off his waistcoat.

Charlotte watched as this man who she would spend the rest of her life with seemed to relax further with every layer he shed. She jolted herself from her thoughts and began to remove the gloves and pelisse she wore over her wedding gown but halted, uncertain where to put them.

George took the bundle of fabric from her hands and blindly tossed them towards a chair in a corner of the room. He lifted his wife's chin in his hand and bent to press more kisses to her lips, cheeks and neck as his other hand fumbled to untie the strings at her back that held her dress tight to her form. Charlotte trembled a little and giggled again but turned, presenting her back to his sight and making his challenge a little easier.

George unlaced the dress and corset with dexterous fingers and Charlotte allowed them to fall to the floor as held her arms protectively against her chest, clad only in a thin chemise and her stocking and shoes. George knelt before her and lifted her chemise to her hips, removing her shoes and trailing his hands down her legs, hooking his thumbs into her stockings and pulling them from her feet before standing.

Charlotte looked on in awe as her husband removed his white shirt, revealing a well-formed chest with a smattering of hair that trailed down towards his breeches. She stepped backwards a little and sat on the edge of the bed released her death grip her chemise as she admired his masculinity. George moved to sit beside her, looking at her with an unfamiliar heat in his eyes before returning his attention to bathing her in kisses, and only when he felt her move to place her own hands on his chest and tangle her fingers in his hair did he slip the thin straps of her chemise from her shoulders, smiling as her breath hitched.

He gently pushed her back as the soft swells of her breasts were revealed and his head dipped, pressing his lips to the valley between them and teasing her nipples with his tongue. A breathy moan slipped from Charlotte's lips at the unexpected pleasure she felt at this as a warmth grew within her. But then she jerked away slightly as she felt a hand slip beneath the ruched hem of her undergarments and stroke her most intimate area.

George lifted paused in his attention to her breasts and looked up at his wife and asked her to trust him, moving no further until she gave a minute hesitant nod and the tension in her thighs faded and her legs slipped open from where they clamped shut.

"Just let me take care of you, love" he whispered against her neck and his hands resumed their explorations, finger slipping over the folds of her sex and into the tightness they guarded causing Charlotte to cry out in surprise at the intrusion. Her cry, however, quickly turned to moans of pleasure as his fingers stretched and stroked her inner walls, feeding the ever growing fire in her core until she could do little else but hold desperately as he drove her towards a terrifying precipice. When she fell, it was to cries of his name as her back arched and then slumped, sinking deeper into the soft sheets of the bed.

She felt his hand draw away from her as she breathed deeply and heard the rustling as he removed his breeches and stockings, his shoes having been kicked off sometime earlier. He joined her on the bed once more, this time settling between her legs as knelt over her. She drew him down towards her for a kiss, swallowed dryly as she felt him position himself at her entrance and tried to breathe evenly as his body invaded hers. He slipped through her moist folds and into the passage of her sex with ease, pushing slowly forward. He paused as he felt the barrier of her virginity, looking into her eyes with love before thrusting forward sharply and dropping his head to rest against her shoulder.

Charlotte sucked in a gasp of pain even as he stilled to let her adjust to the sensation and for the pain to recede to a dull, twinging ache. A tear or two had slipped from the corners of her eye and she blinked away the rest of the salty liquid that had gathered there, not quite sure what to do next but settling on laying a hand on George's cheek and experimentally shifting her hips. George groaned at the small movement and he lifted his head to look at her eyes and understanding passed between them as he withdrew a little and pressed back in once more.

George set a slow pace with gentle thrusts and occasional grinding of his hips against hers. Charlotte responded to the steady stimulation by wrapping her arms about his shoulders and her legs about his waist and trying with mixed success to match his thrusts with her own. The pace quickened as their pleasure grew until both were moaning, groaning and sighing at the sensation and desperately clawed their way toward completion.

And when completion was reached, he spilling within her moments after she clamped down around him, they saw stars and cried out to the heavens, prayers of each other's names falling from their lips as they spiralled upwards and then crashed back down to the earth with breathless gasps.

They laid there for a while, chests rising rapidly as their lungs sought to replace the air that had been deprived them, wrapped in each other's arm and legs entangled bathing in the afterglow of their lovemaking as they slipped into sleep.

* * *

The first week of their marriage was spent, largely, with only themselves for company, though some small number of their neighbours and some of his friends had made calls to congratulate the couple and, where not already acquainted, to meet the new Lady Morpeth. They only rarely ventured beyond the house and gardens, content to remain cocooned in their own private little world as much as life would let. Their nights were spent in similar fashion to the first, exploring their bodies and learning of each other's preferences between the sheets.

When Friday came they broke their fast early and set off on their honeymoon just as the rest of the fashionable areas were coming to life for the day. Charlotte still did not know their destination, despite numerous attempts at drawing the information from her husband, as George was most insistent that the surprise not be spoiled.

She stared out of the carriage window as they travelled, occasionally pouting in his direction only for him to laugh at her and tell her _sotto voce_ how much she looked like an adorable, angry kitten with such an expression on her face. Of course, this only had the effect of causing her pout to become more pronounced and for the Viscount to laugh harder. She would huff indignantly and he would tell her he was sorry and murmur appeasing compliments and she would smile coyly and tease him but never follow through.

It made for a rather tense arrival when their journey came to an end in the evening and if they were a little uncivil to the Mistress as they entered the lodgings that had been rented for two weeks in favour of retiring immediately to their rooms, well, who could blame them?

Charlotte discovered the next day that they would be touring the large coastal towns and cities, having stopped in a small town called Newhaven that was situated about half way between Eastbourne and Brighton. They would remain there for two weeks enjoying some of the local society to be had and exploring the delights of the Sussex coast.

After moving on from Brighton and Eastbourne, they stopped at Willingden for a week or so and visited with Charlotte's family, several of whom she had not seen since Yuletide, and delighted in their company. George endeavoured to take any and all opportunity presented to him to become better acquainted with his wife's family. After all, they were his family now too. It was with mixed feelings that they departed the old estate, saddened to leave cherished company behind yet eager to continue their travels and the interesting things that awaited them at their next destination.

The arrived next at the city of Winchester which, while further inland, was as easy distance from the port town of Southampton and they travelled on several occasions to visit the great shipyards to observe the building of new ships and watch the displays of peace time naval manoeuvre drills. The city itself offered a wealth of attractions and entertainments and Charlotte had delighted in visiting the museum and great buildings it was home to. They had one day stopped to call on a university friend of George's who had recently moved to the area an was employed as a barrister in the region's criminal courts.

On their departure from that call, Charlotte had spotted a piece of jewellery someone must have lost as they went about their day. Picking it she found it to be a lovely cross of yellow topaz strung on a delicate gold chain with a broken clasp. She looked up from admiring the quality of the simple necklace hoping to see if a lady who might have dropped could be nearby and spots two women standing close together, one clearly trying to comfort the other, and called out to them and she moved closer.

The ladies stopped their conversation at her approach and looked at her. Both were in their later years, one with dark, greying hair, a prominent nose and low brow; the other, perhaps some few years younger, also with hair that could be seen greying around the temples, dark mournful eyes and an unusually sombre countenance. The latter, Charlotte noticed, wore a very similar necklace of her own. The Viscountess held out the necklace she had picked up to them and their eyes widened at the sight of it.

"I believe this may belong to one of you ladies?" Charlotte asked as she held up the necklace. Both women nodded tearfully and accepted it gratefully as Charlotte passed it into their hands.

"You see, Martha, I told you it would be nearby and were worrying for naught." The younger of the two said to her companion. "Thank you for approaching us, not everyone would have been so honest, Miss…"

Charlotte was about to give her name when George called out to her from some yards up the street. "Just Charlotte, Ma'am" she responded with a smile, bid them good day and returned to her husband's side.

They left Winchester two weeks later bound for Bath where they would remain again for two weeks before journeying back to London for what remained of the season. In bath they enjoyed taking to the waters, both in the comforts of the old roman bathing complex and in the sea outside. They were invited to dinners, and parties or all kinds by both their circles of acquaintance though they were somewhat limited outside of Town at this time of the year. George and Charlotte ventured out to tour the shops and gardens and public walks and made visits to the local theatres and music halls.

And when the fortnight came to an end, they, with the assistance of Alyona and the Viscount's valet, Colin, who had accompanied them but kept their presence scarce, packed their trunks and left the views of the coast behind for the fog and noise of London.

It was not until several hours into their journey that Charlotte realised they did not seem to be heading east toward Town. Indeed, they seemed to be heading only further west and following the coastal road and lanes that should have long ago been left behind for the greener pastures of Wiltshire farmland. Charlotte could not help thinking the passing scenery somehow familiar, but is was only when they rounded a corner of the cliff-face and she spied a large house set amongst a grove of trees on a jutting section of the cliffs that the pieces fell into place.

For surely, that familiar house on this familiar coastline could only mean that they were fast approaching Sanditon.


	29. Chapter 29

_Before we get started with this next chapter, I'd like to respond to a recent review from a guest. I generally prefer to respond to reviews in a private message but I can't do that with guest reviews. Anyway, I wanted to say that I appreciate your comments and your well-considered feedback._

_The emotional depth Charlotte shows (or perhaps doesn't show) in this story is something that I know needs a bit of work. I am also aware that there are some inconsistencies where I have changed my mind about certain details part way through. I will be going back and editing this eventually but that won't be until I have finished writing this first draft._

_Part of the reason I upload chapters while they are still in their draft form is because I find huge motivation to write after reading all of your comments. And I MASSIVELY appreciate all your feedback on what is good and what needs work._

_So, thank you, everyone, and most especially Fiona, whoever you may be._

* * *

Charlotte snapped her head round to look at her husband who was sat beside her on the carriage bench and trying to supress his amusement at her reaction. He did not succeed. Eventually, Lord Morpeth gave in and a wide smirk stole over his face.

"George…" Charlotte began but left her question unspoken.

George, however, knew his wife well enough to determine her thoughts and responded to her obvious desire for information. "Yes, love, we are headed to Sanditon. You always speak so fondly of it and I thought you would like the surprise. Besides, were it not for this town, and of course, Lady Worcester, we might never have met and my world, at least, would be a duller place. How could I not want to see it for myself?" He explained.

Charlotte's toying her bottom lip with her teeth betrayed her inner conflict. She was, mostly, delighted to be once more in the lovely seaside resort town, and very keen indeed to witness the changes and progress over the years since her departure that were sure to be seen. But for all the happy wonderful memories she had made here, there would always be a part of her that was afraid to venture close for fear of the pain of those last few days resurfacing.

Charlotte would not be cowed, however. They were here now, and very soon it would be too late to turn back without being seen. She would face it all head on and she would not allow her fears to batter her spirits. What cared she to encounter Sidney Parker? Whatever they had shared was not to be and she had long accepted that; she had, most whole heartedly, moved on. She would not be where she was now, married, as she was, to a man she loved, had she not.

But perhaps that was cruel of her? She had loved Sidney Parker once; and she was not so foolish as to believe that love ever really disappeared. Not truly. Not completely. Perhaps the better truth was that she had known love and grown from it and was thankful for it; but it had torn her down. And then, she had rebuilt herself, stronger for it and it had formed her into the woman she was today.

Charlotte was happy. The love and sadness that had once been inspired in her by Sidney Parker were things she could not regret, and only rarely did she wonder how things might have been. _Yes_, Charlotte thought, _should they encounter one another_, _she was strong enough to face him_. And there was no certainty they would. Indeed, the man may not even _be in_ Sanditon.

"You are far too good to me. Sometimes I wonder if you are quite real." She said at last as their carriage came in view of the town. "It will be delightful and I am sure you will love it as I do before you can even comprehend it is happening." She smiled and then asked how long they were to stay even as she began to almost vibrate with excitement.

"What say you to remaining the summer in its entirety? I've a house on a sea front terrace leased through August complete, and I am assured it is a most masterful construction with views to the sea and parade as well as the town. We would travel directly to Castle Howard then, in lieu of returning to Town, as the season will be much passed. Though of course we may leave whenever we wish."

George shared his plans with her; what plans he had that was, for they were admittedly rather threadbare in content. But their conversation halted there as they rolled to a stop outside a middling sized town house of white and brown brick with a vibrant red door set between two large sash windows each of which were mirrored on larger scale at the first floor with two dormer windows standing out from the roofline. The row of houses was set back from the street a way and boasted simple but excellently maintained arrangements of planted flowers and box hedging to complement the short paths and steps up to their doors.

Charlotte and George were greeted at the door by the housekeeper and butler, who maintained possession of its keys during unoccupied periods, when they departed the carriage and a footman set to helping Colin and their coachman cart their trunks inside. Alyona hopped down from the second seat on the driver's bench and was taken around the back to the servants entrance by a housemaid who would show her to the small attic room she would use during their stay and all the realms under the servants' purview.

"Lord and Lady Morpeth, we welcome you to Sanditon." The Butler, whose name was Michaels and would answer to very little else, intoned soberly. "I hope you find all to your liking while you remain here and we are, of course, at your disposal to meet any need you may have." The man, who was perhaps in his fifties, bowed then and offered to divulge them of their outerwear as they moved into the house.

The entrance hall was moderately sized and well-appointed with light stone-tiled floors and a blue Persian rug dominating the centre of it under a round table with a vase of wildflowers. There was a small bench set against the shorter wall of the staircase which could be seen curving round and up to floor above with a door set into the right of the far wall that opened up the small garden space behind the house. The walls were half panelled with white painted wood, covered with golden Chinese wall fabrics and there were three doors leading to what were surely a drawing room, library and a dining room through which the kitchens and service rooms in the rear wing could be accessed.

Being late in the afternoon, George and Charlotte ate and retired to bed early, tired from travelling for so much of the day. Which is not to say that they fell immediately to sleep. No; they would take every opportunity to pursue those intimate activities shared only, where the act was a respectable one, by husbands and wives. After all, there was much pleasure and joy to found with each other in the privacy of their bedchamber.

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte set out to call upon Georgiana as soon as the proper hour was achieved. She was a little unsure that she should leave her husband behind, but George was quick to assure her that he had no quarrel with her venturing to see her friend and was quite well aware his presence would only interfere with his reunion. He would content himself with evaluating the contents of the library, seeing to some correspondence and familiarising himself with the whereabouts of the post office.

The sun was high in the sky and it's glittering reflections of the sea could be glimpsed between the rows of houses as Charlotte traversed the streets towards Mrs Griffiths School which, as far as Charlotte could tell from the last letter she had received from her friend, was still the younger girl's direction. Charlotte was in luck, for no sooner had she turned down the street than she spied the very person she sought.

"Georgiana!" she called out gleefully and dashed to catch up to her. Georgiana and her companion whom Charlotte did not recognise, turned at the sound of her name and, upon realising this was her dearest friend, abandoned her walking companion in favour of greeting Charlotte with equal enthusiasm.

"Charlotte! I am so glad you are here. It has been so unutterably dull without you and my guardian has not ceased to be his usual boorish self. In fact, I think he has only become worse!" the younger girl gushed as the two women embraced for the first time in far too long. After all, when last the met, Charlotte had been atop a horse and then so soundly unprepared for Georgiana's sudden and eventful subsequent appearance that she had neglected to act as friend should.

"I am on my honeymoon and my husband though to surprise me with a visit to Sanditon; he reasons we would never have met if not for this place. Georgiana! I know you far too well to believe you are truly bored here, why you probably make quite enough excitement for all your neighbour to share in. Tell me, have there been any further rotten pineapples for you to be outraged by? Everything in your letters suggests you have come to take great delight in convincing people they have bestowed you some terrible insult."

"Yes! Yes! I read the announcement in the papers. I did not quite believe it at first; that you should marry a Viscount. If my guardian's wife is to be believed, we, neither of us, share the fashionable manners preferred by the _Ton_. For you are too naturally happy and open, and I too wild, to be judged by them kindly. But then it is not so difficult to believe that someone might have recognised you for the diamond you are, Charlotte, especially with Lady Susan's support. So I can only be happy for you, though I care not a whit for their opinions."

Georgiana eventually remembered her companion who had been standing with them looking quite lost and a little miserable at being ignored. "Oh! Charlotte, this is Miss Charity Entworth. She is new to Sanditon, having only joined Mrs Griffiths this past winter. Charity, this is my friend Charlotte, though I image we really should call her Lady Morpeth now that she is married." Georgiana made the introductions between her two friends in her usual spirited manner.

"When Miss Entworth first arrived, she was a sodden miserable little thing but she reminded me a little of you in her absolute wonder at something so simple as the ocean." Georgiana laughed. "I was quite resolved to befriend her and pull her from that horrid little shell she had stuffed herself into. I am very pleased with myself for she is much more inclined to speak her thoughts now. I may make a fellow hoyden of her yet!"

Miss Entworth, who could of course hear everything Miss Lambe said, frowned a little at her friend's teasing. "I do not wish to become a hoyden like you, Georgiana. I have not your inclination towards wildness. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Morpeth, and you have my heartfelt congratulations on your marriage. Georgiana has spoken of you often and I hope we shall have the opportunity to become acquainted while you are with us here in Sanditon?"

The girl, who was but eighteen in years, spoke with a calm resolve and cheerful tone but her bright smile belied her gentle manners and revealed a little of the energy within. Charlotte could understand Georgiana's comments now. She too recognised that energy as being very similar to her own spirit, though better moderated than Charlotte knew herself to have been at that age.

The ladies moved inside then and sat down to enjoy a tray of tea and biscuits as they continued their conversation. Georgiana and Miss Entworth, _Charity, please_, she had quickly insisted, did not take long to quiz Charlotte on her plans for the duration of her stay here.

"Well we have a house leased through to the end of the summer and I doubt we will depart before the full heat of August. It has been too long since I have been to Sanditon and I did not realise how much I missed it until I was here again so I am in no hurry to quit it so soon." Charlotte said as she plucked a biscuit from the plate before them and nibbled at it a little before deciding the taste of it made her stomach turn a little too much to finish and set it upon her saucer where it would remain untouched.

"Then you will be here for the Sanditon Regatta and the Midsummer Ball. That tradition began the year after you left, I'm told, when Mr Parker decided the Regatta alone was not enough. Truly, that man's energy is exhausting! Are you acquainted with the Parkers, my lady?" Charity enquired.

Charlotte laughed. "I am acquainted with all three of the Parker brothers, but as you are speaking of energy I can only imagine you are referring to Tom Parker. And you are right; if he is unchanged then his enthusiasm is boundless!" she declared gaily. "It was Mr Parker and his wife, May, that I stayed with when I first came to Sanditon and I still consider them my friends though it has been far too long since I have seen them. I intend to call on them tomorrow!"

Charity could not help but smile at the Viscountess' energy and was drawn in and made comfortable by her happy manners and friendly countenance. Georgiana, who, for all her outward appearance of unchecked boisterousness, had truly matured a great deal in recent years, which was not to say that she did not still have occasional moments of truly shocking rebellion, was pleased that her two friends had taken so well to each other. She was delighted at the excess of fun she was sure to have now that she was properly reunited with her favourite friend.

The group had been chatting for close to an hour when Charlotte began to take her leave. She was in the midst of inviting the two ladies to take tea with her in a day or two when the door to the drawing room opened to admit another caller, led by a maid who informed them a gentleman had arrived for Miss Lambe but neglected to give his name.

He was a tall fellow, dressed darkly and with a rumpled look to him that was unusual to see in a gentleman of means. He had been facing away from them as he entered the room, in the process of removing his gloves and hat, but Charlotte gasped and almost froze as she recognised him when he turned to them.

"Miss Heywood!" he barked out as he ground to a sudden halt.

She had not expected to meet Sidney Parker quite so soon and floundered aimlessly for a second and missed his own shocked greeting. It was only Georgiana scoffing that brought her back to her senses as she said, "Good Lord, Sidney! I know you don't like to be bothered with gossip but it amazes me that you could be so completely unaware that Charlotte has not been Miss Heywood for almost two months now!" she berated her guardian. It was an unusual shift in their dynamic to be sure; usually it was him scolding her!

"Mr Parker." Charlotte greeted him in return with more strength in her voice than she truly felt. "You are well, I hope?" she asked awkwardly, entirely ill-equipped to know what to say to the man who stood before her. _Esther was right_, she thought, _he does look exceedingly unkempt._

"Well enough, Miss He- Mrs …" he drifted off not knowing what to call her. "You have me at a disadvantage ma'am. You have witnessed Georgiana imparting the knowledge that you are no longer Miss Heywood but I have no knowledge of your husband. Perhaps you might fill the gap?"

Charlotte smiled at the mention of her husband, as she always did, and enlightened him. "My married name is Howard, Sir. My husband is George Howard, the Viscount Morpeth." She said and then felt compelled to fill the resulting silence. "I am pleased to hear you are well, and Mrs Parker, I hope she is well too." She said, a little residual bitterness over the whole affair with Eliza Campion lacing her tone when asking after that woman's health.

Sidney drew in a shocked breath at discovering Charlotte, _no, Lady Morpeth_, he corrected himself in his mind, _he had lost the right to even think of her in so familiar terms when he had chosen to affiance himself to the harpy that was his wife_, had married so far above either of their situations; his present and her former. But he supposed if anyone deserved such elevation, it was her. He did not like it though; to know that any chance he may have ever had was likely gone.

He succeeded in letting out only a strangled "quite" in reply.

Charlotte was thankful that Georgiana, who, though not acquainted with every detail, knew much of their history and previous unspoken attachment, decided to take pity on her friend and guardian and put them out of their misery. For a little while at least. It was not entirely selfless of her though; the whole brief interlude had been excruciating in its awkwardness thus far!

"Guardian," she began in the most spoilt and demanding tone she could summon, "Charlotte was just inviting us to take tea with her later this week before she departed. She must have much more important things to do, now that she is a great lady, than listen to your senseless blathering. You are barring her way! Do sit down and let her take her leave." She ordered, utterly without sympathy. "I'm sure Charity and I shall be delighted to join you, Charlotte. Send us a note with the time and place and we shall be there."

Charlotte found herself thoroughly dismissed and was relieved to escape onto the street where there was no tension at all to be found in the air. As she walked home, she considered the past few moments and concluded that it could have been a good deal worse than it had been. _And now that the first meeting has been had, all futures instances could only be pleasanter by comparison,_ she thought.

No matter what she told herself though, Charlotte was not looking forward to meeting with his wife once more.


	30. Chapter 30

Having returned to their little house on the seafront, Charlotte and George spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of the town and discovering what new delights had sprung up since her previous visit.

They were stopped and greeted by various individuals who remembered and were remembered by Charlotte from several years before and had even encountered Arthur and Diana Parker outside the post office. The couple had engaged a lovely if brief conversation with the brother and sister which revealed them to be little changed. Charlotte promised they would call during the week before both parties went on their way.

"Your friends make for an… interesting pair, my love. They seem to have far more energy than I had expected from your description of them." George was no little befuddled by the enthusiasm and activity to be seen in the individuals whom his wife had told him were eternally concerned with their imagined poor health.

Charlotte laughed, "Yes, they are wonderfully full of character!" she agreed. "But they are very good and friendly and almost impossible to dislike."

"Only almost impossible?"

"Where one is truly determined to find some fault or other to dislike, one is sure to succeed. It seems to me a very lonely thing, but it is also true." She said. It was fortunate that there were relatively few people so determined to disapprove with everything they met and most others were content to let the world simply be as it was.

Lord and Lady Morpeth had begun to make their way home then, discussing the things they would do while they were here. George was keen to experience sea bathing, having never had the opportunity previously, and they resolved to take to the waters at least once. Charlotte delighted in recounting stories of her own time in the town and many interesting events she had been witness to; George laughed with particular heartiness upon learning of Lady Denham's dinner with the rotten pineapple and was quick to encourage that they would call on that lady sooner than later.

They spent another quiet evening together, partaking of their dinner and reading in a companionable silence before they retired to bed. Though not before George had pressed his wife into playing at the piano forte in the drawing room for him, though Charlotte protested her lack of talent at the instrument, and then promptly pulled her into a nonsensical pattern of spins upon it's conclusion when she eventually relented and they laughed sometime at the hilarity of it.

* * *

The next morning, they rose early and entreated the cook to pack their breakfast fare into a basket so that they might wander down the cliff walks and enjoy the loveliness of the day while they ate. Had anyone stumbled upon them, they would have been met with the sight of the husband and wife laid upon the grass, he with his head resting in her lap and eating an apple while she read aloud from her book, with the contents of the basket strewn upon the ground before them.

They remained there for a few hours before venturing back to the town to return the food basket and for Charlotte to change into a clean day dress having gathered a number of grass stains on the one she had donned earlier that morning. Once dressed in a fresh gown, the new blue and cream striped one with a dark grey spencer, they walked in the direction of Trafalgar House with the intention of calling on Tom and Mary Parker and making known their presence.

Charlotte rapped the knocker hung on the door when they arrived and were greeted shortly by the servant who opened the door whereupon they asked after the mistress of the house and were bid to wait in the hallway while the servant informed the Parkers of their callers.

The servant returned, following behind Mrs Parker, who greeted Charlotte with a beaming smile and long embrace and polite curtsy to the Viscount upon their introduction. Their hats and coats and gloves were collected and they were then shown to the garden where Mary had been with her husband and children.

"Tom, see who has come to call!" she said as she approached her husband who was sat at the table on the small terrace where a selection of foodstuff and a tea tray was laid out for the family's luncheon.

Tom Parker, who had been absently flipping through the pages of the Sanditon Herald, startled and looked up at the sound of his wife returning. He had not noticed the servant come to speak with her or her leaving him to greet their visitors.

"Charlotte! My dear! You are returned to us at last! I am very glad, very pleased! But who is this with you? My Mary read in the papers that you might have become engaged. I suppose this is your young man? Delighted to meet you, Sir! Delighted!" He stood up and strode over to them and shook George's hand, who was stood wide-eyed at the stream of words coming from this man's mouth.

Charlotte giggled at the expression but took pity on him when he darted a desperate look in her direction.

"Yes, Mr Parker, it is delightful to find myself here again. I have missed this place very much. And you are correct, this is my husband, George Howard, Lord Morpeth. I do hope you have all been well since we last met that Yuletide?" She said.

"Yes, very well, dear! Come you must take tea with us; I shall delight in hearing all that has happened with you. And the children! The children will be delighted to see you once more! They are playing over there, by the oak tree, you see? I shall call them over." Tom cried as he gestured for them to sit and motioned to the far limit of their modest gardens where five children of varying ages could be seen playing.

The youngest looked very young indeed and, to her knowledge, the Parkers had only four children. When she questioned them to this effect she was most surprised by Mary's response.

"Not at all, Charlotte. You remember correctly; though we delight in our children, four is quite enough to keep us pleasantly occupied with their entertainment! No, the little boy is our nephew, Thomas. He is Sidney and Eliza's son and spends a little time most days with his cousins, as you can see." Mary explained, a slight air of caution in her tone and a ghost of worry in her eyes at being the one to relay this knowledge on their young friend.

Mary could only breathe a sigh of relief when Charlotte did not appear outwardly shaken or distressed by this and concluded that, whatever feelings and hurt had existed between her brother and Charlotte had healed.

Charlotte, for her part, did not know quite what to make of this news, but settled on being pleased for Mr Parker. "He seems like a lively child." She observed as the group of them came dashing in their direction, chasing after their father, the little boy being helped along by his older cousins.

"I encountered Mr Parker yesterday when I called on Miss Lambe." She said. "I was struck by how much changed he seems." She continued as George lay an assuaging hand on her thigh as she recalled their meeting.

Though she herself had never spoken of the circumstances that left her leaving this town, some of the facts had been made known to him by Lady Susan when he had determined to court her. And though he knew she loved him, indeed, she would not have accepted his proposal if she did not, he also knew that any encounters with the man in question would surely be unsettling for her.

George thought Sidney Parker a fool. For only a fool could cast aside anyone like Charlotte after seeing her worth. But he was inclined to thank him for his stupidity; his wife would not be his wife if Mr Parker had acted with more sense. He would not dwell on those maudlin thoughts, however. He chose to redirect their conversation to less weighty topics.

"My wife tells me this town was your vision, Mr Parker. How did you come by it?" He asked.

Tom seemed to almost leap from the chair he had just returned to as his children clustered around Charlotte and drew her to play them as she used to. Little Thomas Parker, hung back shyly however, he did not know this lady and, though his older cousin had greeted her excitedly and with familiarity, he was young enough yet that strangers were still scary things.

"Ah! Well you see, my Mary and I had visited Bath for our bridal tour, that was many years ago now, of course, and it was the similarity of the air here as to there that led us to purchase this house for ourselves some time later. Sanditon was much smaller then, but there was so much potential to seen in it!..." As Tom regaled George with the story of his birthing of the reinvigoration of his quaint little coastal town, Charlotte had been persuaded onto the lawn for a game of Battledore and Shuttlecock on the grassy lawn.

Gales of laughter and cries accusing or denying their cheating could be heard for several minutes as they delighted in the return of their friendly Charlotte who had always been happy to play with them no matter how dirty or loud their games became. The lively game died down in favour of the more sedate energies of hunt the slipper where all delighted in stealing away Charlotte's shoes when little Thomas braved joining their fun, stumbling over to them on his chubby little legs.

It was to this scene of domestic festivity that Sidney and Eliza arrived, coming to collect their son from his visit with his uncle, aunt and cousins.

Eliza, having spied the Viscount several moments before she realised that there was an unfamiliar young woman playing with her child, preened and greeted the peer with every simpering civility. Sidney only nodded at their introduction by his brother's wife but then scowled at realising this must be Miss Heywood's… _Lady Morpeth's_… husband.

Charlotte did not realise who had joined Tom and Mary and her husband on the terrace until Eliza gasped at recognising Miss Heywood as the young woman playing with her son and scowled at her presence. Charlotte eyed the older woman cooly before begging off from the game and retreating to the terrace and the security of the Viscount's closeness.

"Miss Heywood, this is a surprise. Has your father allowed you to visit with Tom and Mary again this summer? It must have been quite an honour to make the acquaintance of such an illustrious personage as the Viscount." She mocked. Of Course, Eliza was all too aware that Miss Heywood was in fact married to the Viscount but her pride and dislike of the girl would not allow her to acknowledge that the little nobody was now her social superior. And what an error that turned out to be on her part.

Lord Morpeth looked severely upon this new addition to the Parker's terrace. "M wife is Lady Morpeth, Mrs Parker. Do not forget yourself." He corrected her soundly, generously choosing to overlook the insult, knowing his wife would not appreciate the scene. He would not hesitate to make his disapprobation clear if she repeated it.

"My apologies, my Lord. You must forgive me, Lady Morpeth, for my oversight." She ground out with false sincerity.

Charlotte looked at her for a moment before accepting her apology, though she did not believe it to be genuine.

"You have my congratulations of course," Eliza continued with an overbright smile. "I imagine you must be very pleased to have caught the eye of a Lord. I suppose you are fortunate he is so wealthy, but then you cannot have been ignorant of such a thing"

Charlotte froze in lifting a teacup to her lips at the other woman's words. "I'm afraid I don't take your meaning." She said as George scowled at the upstart before him. _The nerve of the woman!_

"Oh, I only mean that, as a mere farmer's daughter, you must have lacked the usual enticements to had by the wives of most lords of the realm."

"And what usual enticements do you speak of, madam?" George bit out. "My wife is everything I could imagine wanting or needing in future countess. She is intelligent, generous and kind and has a great deal more sense than most other women of her age and even some who are her senior in years and experience!"

Charlotte blushed at his praise even as Mrs Parker stammered out some unintelligible response. "I can only assume, Mrs Parker, that you are speaking of my dowry?" Charlotte said. "You needn't worry yourself, while my father's home does boast a farm, I am not a mere farmers daughter for my father is a gentleman. And, though the topic aught not be spoken of in company, I had an adequate dowry from my father, though smaller than might be had by the daughters of peers, and a very generous inheritance my aunt who passed away almost three years ago."

Charlotte decided then that perhaps it was time for them to end their call to her friends, and her husband agreed with a smirk. Mary and Tom, who had been silent during the recent interaction, were sorry to see them go but rang for a servant to show them out. Charlotte, who knew her way to the front door, walked ahead to collect their belongings from the servant, while George remained behind to invite the older couple to have dinner with them one evening.

Sidney seized the opportunity to speak to Charlotte privately, and discretely slipped away to follow her.


	31. Chapter 31

Charlotte was securing her bonnet strings under her chin when she heard footsteps approaching. Assuming it was her husband behind her, she turned around with a smile to pass him his own gloves, hat and goat. It was not her husband.

Sidney Parker stood a few steps away from her as he watched her. She eyed him warily again as he began to speak.

"You must be very pleased with yourself, my lady," he sneered. "to have caught a Viscount for yourself. How did you manage it, I wonder? Did you lure him in with your usual impertinence and want of manners? Or perhaps you stumbled upon him naked and grasped the opportunity you missed with me." He moved closer to her as he spoke until he was towering over her, scowling as he spat his insults towards her character.

Charlotte's lips thinned as she considered him. "I see you are still as severe on others as ever you were."

"You certainly seem much changed, Madam. I can only imagine you portrayed your character to him falsely. I never took you for a scheming fortune-hunter; it would seem I was wrong."

"You clearly never knew me at all if you would think I would ever convey myself as being other than I am, Sir. I would beg you leave me in peace, Mr Parker. I have no desire to hear your bile. Your accusations are wholly unfounded and I object to your speaking to me in such a manner." She tilted her head to look up at him coolly as she spoke. She turned her back on him then and continued to pull on her gloves as she waited for her husband so they might be gone from his presence.

George had since conveyed their wish for Tom and Mary to join them one evening and followed the servant back through the house. On their approach to the entrance hall, the harsh words being exchanged could be heard and he turned to dismiss the servant, assuring them he was quite capable of opening and walking through the final door himself.

"What is going on here? Charlotte, are you well? You look pale." Lord Morpeth came to stand beside his wife as she glowered at Mr Parker.

"Oh. No; I am well enough, my lord." She reassured him, her expression settling into something pleasanter.

George studied her for a moment and nodded at finding she was not too shaken. "Why don't you walk ahead; I want to speak to Mr Parker briefly and then I'll catch up to you." He suggested. Charlotte looked at him silently for a moment before nodding and moving out onto the street to wait for him.

Once his wife was gone, George turned and stepped towards to the other man in the entrance hall as he pulled his coat over his arms. "I may not be acquainted with the particulars of your connection to Lady Morpeth, but I am aware that there was some… unpleasantness that led to your parting, Mr Parker. Regardless of whatever may have been between you then, Lady Morpeth is my wife and offenses to her person will not tolerated."

Sidney opened his mouth to speak but George interrupted him. "I have not finished speaking, Sir. You will listen to what I have to say to you." Sidney spluttered and went to speak again but was silenced by the chilling look he received. "I heard what was said between you and it amazes me that anyone would have the presumption to speak to Lady Morpeth in such an ill-bred manner, let alone accuse her of the behaviour you have today." George snapped.

"You will be the very picture of civility at any future encounters you have with Charlotte, or, I promise you, you will find yourself gravely regretting your actions." he concluded and picked up his hat, departing the house with a final scathing warning: " And I suggest you control your wife."

Sidney was left standing there, feeling the full weight of the Viscount's disapproval, and fearing just what consequences would be waiting if the Viscountess suffered further upset from their quarter. He would have to speak to Eliza about holding her tongue. It was sure to spark yet another argument and prolonged silence between them.

* * *

George and Charlotte were traversing the streets, arm in arm, back to the house they had let. They were silent for a long while before Charlotte spoke.

"He was very bitter and closed off to the world when first we met. She broke his heart once, you know? Mrs Parker. And he seems to have only become more bitter since their marriage."

George was silent as he allowed his wife to speak what was on her mind. They had never spoken about the circumstances that had led her to leave this place; she had not been ready. He would not discourage her now.

"Initially I thought him unfeeling, indelicate and rude. It took a long time before either of us were willing to be much in the other's presence. Georgiana despised him for being strict with her and her dislike of him fed my own; time and distance have shown me the error of believing him unjust in the way he handled her. She really was very wild and without any semblance of self-control then.

"But we were often thrown together and found ourselves forced to become better acquainted. I could not have ignored the care he had for his brothers and sister and the Parker children, and my feelings began to change. By the time we celebrated the first Regatta, I was quite firmly on my way to loving him.

"It broke my heart to learn he had engaged himself to Mrs Campion during his trip to London in search of a solution to his brother's troubles after the fire. But I understood it. I could not bear to think of it then, but I might have thought less of him had he not made the choices he did. I cannot regret what happened though. It brought me to you, and you… well you are so very, very dear to me. Now I only wish he might find some happiness with where his choices have led him."

George listened to his wife's words as she recounted what had occurred between them. He hated to think that, if events had gone differently, she might be another man's wife instead of his own. But things had not been different and he could not be sorry for it. By her own admission, Charlotte would not have changed the way it all unfolded, but for perhaps a little less heartache on everyone's parts.

"I cannot believe he would not have found a way to help his brother without hurting you, had he truly wanted to. That he did not, only tells me that he did not deserve you if he was not willing to fight harder for you." He responded at length and Charlotte frowned at hearing this. "I know we will not agree on it, so I'll no more on the matter than this: for myself, at least, I am pleased for his mistakes and that I did not make the same ones." He added at the growing frown that had appeared as he spoke.

"Yes, let us speak no further on it." she agreed. "Dwelling on the past does no one any good. Let us only remember what we may recall fondly."

Being only early afternoon, they chose to spend the rest of the day by the sea. They walked along the sandy shores and, in a moment of scandalising freedom, removed their shoes to walk barefoot through the surf as small waves broke the sea line. As they explored the further reaches of the beach and ventured beyond those limits Charlotte had experienced four years prior, they found a secluded cove and determined the mild temperatures were fine enough that they might go further into the water and shucked their clothing to enjoy the coolness of the sea as they swam together.

They did not spend long in the sea, for, although the chill was refreshing, it was not comfortable for long and they retreated to the dunes, clad in their undergarments, to dry themselves in the sun.

Dusk was falling when they returned home for the evening in mussed and damp clothing, having tried to use the less frequented walkways and avoiding the gazes of all who looked upon them. Their meal that evening was a hearty one and, for the first night in their marriage, they fell uneventfully to sleep and would not awaken until the sun was high in the sky the next day.

* * *

When they did eventually make their way downstairs, it was much too late to call the meal they ate breakfast, yet too early to truly be luncheon. Their plans for that day were much as the day before had been and they were intending to pay a visit to Lady Denham that afternoon. Charlotte had sent a note the previous morning expressing their intention and signing it only _Charlotte_. She did not know how much Esther shared with her aunt about what was happening in Town, but she thought Lady Denham would be equally vexed as pleased at the knowledge, whether it was known to her presently or not.

Their morning was spent seeing to their personal correspondence, with Charlotte writing to her sister, brother, parents and Lady Susan with the wish that the latter lady share her letter with Lady Granville and Lady Howard. George had also written to his mother and father and aunt, as well as to one or two of the men whose businesses he invested in.

Having eaten late that morning, they chose to forego a proper luncheon before departing for Sanditon House, instead enjoying a light platter of cheese and cold cuts between them. They chose to take the carriage to Sandition House given the greater distance and George's concern for his wife over her recent spells of fatigue that had sprung from seemingly nowhere. Thus, they arrived at Lady Denham's residence a short half hour later.

George threw himself out of the carriage and presented Charlotte his hand to help her in stepping down before their groom had the chance to do his job. Charlotte laughed at his actions as she found herself once more on solid ground and they walked up the remaining distance of the driveway to enter the house where the butler was already stood waiting at the door to greet them.

"Sir, Miss Heywood, my lady is expecting you. May I take you to her?" he said as he gestured to a footman to collect the belongings they would not need until the departed. It would seem Esther had not, in fact, informed her aunt of Miss Heywood's marriage. They were escorted through the house to the very same drawing room where Charlotte had first made Lady Denham's acquaintance.

"Miss Heywood, I have been hearing tales of your adventures since you returned to us from everyone I see. You were seen cavorting in the nude with a gentleman yesterday. Why are you only coming to see me now, girl?" the ageing lady demanded even before they had set foot inside the room.

A scarlet flush stole over Charlotte's cheeks at the lady's words. Someone had seen them! George, on the other hand, was exceedingly amused by the blunt display from Lady Denham and only laughed. He stopped at the glare his wife gave him for not sharing in her mortification.

"I'm sorry, Lady Denham, that you had to hear those things at all!" She apologised.

"Oh, do be quiet girl. It was the most interesting piece of news I have had in months! This place has become unutterably dull. More unutterably dull than it already was. I have even tired of the humour to be found in that woman Mr Parker married." Lady Denham scoffed which only added to her guest's embarrassment. "I suppose this is the young man spoken of then?"

George gave a wide grin, unrepentant in his humour, and moved to sit himself and his wife on the large chesterfield indicated. "I agree. I must be; it would be most distressing to discover my wife were cavorting in the nude with other men!"

Lady Denham looked at him sharply at his words before turning back to Miss Heywood to confirm what had been said. "I was not aware you had married. But, if you are no longer Miss Heywood, who are you now?"

"Yes, Lady Denham, we have been married for a little over two months. Allow me to introduce the Viscount Morpeth, Lord George Howard. I confess I am surprised you did not read of it in the papers." She said with a little grin.

Lady Denham seemed, for a moment, to have been stunned into silence. _It would not last long though_, Charlotte knew. And she was correct.

"I have little interest in the papers from Town. You are a very fortunate girl, Lady Morpeth, to have caught so prominent a member of the peerage. How did you manage it? It could hardly be your fortune. You do not have one."

"I would not consider my husband's title the sole, or even the primary, point of fortune, Ma'am." She decried softly, but with earnest feeling.

Lady Denham nodded and expressed that Charlotte was truly very lucky to love and be loved by someone who could afford to commit to her without the promise of a fortune, though she professed it showed a lack of sense on both their parts. "Now, you, boy, I should imagine it is your influence that has led your wife to agree to such public displays of dishabille! I do not like it, polluting my sands and waters in such a way. You are instructed to stop! And don't think I did not notice your evasion of the question girl." The lady commanded in her usual controlling manner.

"My apologies, my lady," Charlotte murmured. "but I can't say even I know quite how I managed it. We met in St Petersburg when I was travelling with Lady Worcester for the coronation of the Russian Tsar."

"It was your spirit, my love. And the way you handled my uncle's hauteur with dignity even in your impertinence!"

Lady Denham considered the couple sat in her drawing room. They certainly seemed to be disgustingly besotted with each other. "Yes. Yes, Morpeth, impertinence describes your wife perfectly. And you are both very nauseating in your sweetness. I can only hope, for the sake of the continued felicity of your marriage, that your family approves of the match you made for yourself." She huffed and was pleased when they broke apart from gazing at each other and making fools of themselves at her interruption.

George snorted at Lady Denham's characteristic intolerance. "Then you may rest easy, Madam. My family approves most heartily; indeed I would not be surprised to learn that Lady Worcester and my aunt had contrived our introduction themselves!" he told her in the most falsely assuring tone he could summon. Lady Denham noticed this and barked at him for his presumption.

The rest of the call passed in similar fashion with Charlotte being outspoken and purposely insolent, George vexing their hostess and Lady Denham scolding the pair assiduously while secretly delighting in the entertainment they presented. The visit ended with Lady Denham insisting on their presence at the dinner she was throwing the evening before the regatta and enquiring as to the duration of their stay. She was informed that they intended to remain until the Midsummer Ball at least before they took their leave.


	32. Chapter 32

Georgiana and Charity Entworth arrived to take tea the following afternoon and were quite overtaken with the humour of the gossip being spread about town. It would seem the someone who had spied their swimming earlier that week had thought fit to share it with all and sundry.

Charlotte was mortified, George was torn between amusement and horror, the combination of which resulted in a rather constipated expression, and Georgiana delighted in increasing their discomfort, declaring that not even she would dare to take to the seas entirely unclothed.

"We were not naked! Please stop speaking as though we were!" Charlotte begged of her friend several times before Georgiana was satisfied with the extent of her needling.

"Oh, all right! All right, Charlotte, I'll stop." she ceded. "For now." Charlotte groaned and knew it would be a long time before her friend would forget the incident. She could only hope some other terribly scandalising tidbit made itself known soon that would overshadow her own.

George choked on his tea as he sipped it when the girl turned to him and boldly declared that the general consensus was that Charlotte was very lucky to have such a well-proportioned husband, and that she had overheard one of the more lewd of her acquaintances, who had been the very one to spy them, remark most favourably on… well she would not repeat what was said for it was not for the ears of innocents such as her two friends.

The expanse of Charlotte's vision grew and she felt her jaw drop. "Georgiana!"

Miss Entworth discreetly covered a snicker at Lady Morpeth's outcry but thought it prudent to persuade Georgiana to find another topic to speak of and whispered in her ear something to that effect. Georgiana capitulated and diverged into the safer pastures of the plans for that summer's Regatta.

"There has never been quite the same flood of people as there was that first summer, but the event itself grows larger and more spectacular with every year that passes." she said. "The boat race has become quite the tamest of all the activities."

"Oh, I'm so looking forward to it, my Lady! I've never seen a boat race before and it sounds very thrilling. It is not often we get to see our local gentleman in only their shirtsleeves and trousers. Was is not very shocking the first time?" Charity's word overflowed in a rapid tumble and Charlotte had a little trouble making sense of them.

"I… I can't say that it was, no. The only shocking thing, I think, was Mr Crowe's awful skills at the rudder. But then he was… imbibing while Lord Babington and Mr Parker were rowing and caused them to drive themselves and the other boat into the riverbank!" Charlotte laughed as she remembered the man's inebriation.

The rest of the party laughed as Georgiana recounted other instances of Mr Crowe's drunkenness and its results. Given the gentleman's appearance for the Regatta every summer since, the young woman had built a wealth of tales that were varyingly alarming and ridiculous.

George, having little experience of Sanditon, was not able to truly appreciate the stories told for a lack of understanding of the reactions of the individuals involved. However, being acquainted with Mr Crowe's younger brother and they both having been in their first year at Eton as he was in his last, he could relate some of his misadventures in Town and during his schooling. The women had laughed uproariously at hearing of his numerous escapades and quite struggled to breathe during the telling of a time when Mr Crowe had been so lost to sobriety and his brothers had persuaded him that a goat was actually a girl who wanted to kiss him. Lout that the man was, he had been all too happy to comply and enjoyed a rather rude awakening to the animal's bleating the next morning.

Conversation eventually returned to the topic of the Regatta and the events to be had that year. The cricket match now always occurred the day before and was considered as the beginning of the event which now spanned a full week. The boat race and sandcastle competition continued to be held on the first full day of activities while a large garden party on the last day marked its end. The Midsummer ball always occurred on the last evening. Other attractions had come to include treasure hunts and picnics and other little competitions for the children and card parties, musicales and readings for the men and women.

Charlotte gave her guests her whole attention as they described the growth of the event and could hardly contain her excitement to see it for herself. George, who was less invested in the affair than she, listened avidly all the same and contented himself with his wife's happiness and the knowledge that he would see it all for himself the following week.

The girls had remained for almost a full two hours before deciding it was time to take their leave and, with promises to find themselves in each other's company again the very next day, leisurely meandered through the streets back to Mrs Griffiths attentive care.

* * *

While George and Charlotte spent what remained of the time until Lady Denham's dinner party engaged in pursuits to be found only the nation's spa towns and in company with the colourful denizens of Sanditon, Sidney and Eliza were in the throws of yet another lengthy argument on their favourite point of contention. Charlotte Heywood.

Sidney walked haltingly, mired in self-doubt and conflict, as he approached the door to his wife's bedchamber. She had been stonily silent since their return home from Tom and Mary's home the previous day. He new all too well that her displeasure did not bode for an easy interaction. The conversation they were about to have, if indeed it could be termed _a conversation_, was not going to be pleasant.

As he knocked at the door and let himself into the room he could only be glad that he had delivered Thomas into the care of his brother's wife once more that morning. The mistress' chamber was a riot of cushions and clothes strung about the floor and dangling from furniture with shattered pieces of porcelain by the fire. Her anger was worse than he thought, he realised as he observed her glaring at her own reflection.

He approached slowly, arms held slightly before him, submissive in position, as one would a cornered, wild animal. Her temper snapped as he drew closer, turning sharply to face him and levelling him with one of her coldest looks. He waited for her to speak first; let her lose some of the wind from her sails before he broached the sensitive subject they needed to speak on.

"You want to talk about the little mouse." She said with a cruel upward tilt of her chin.

Oh. Oh, well _that_ didn't go to plan, did it? That was unfortunate. For him. The harpy he was married to probably cared very little for his feelings about how their confrontation went. How to respond without making things worse?

"Are you going to speak or shall I."

Evidently silence didn't work. He swallowed attempting to offset the dryness that had lodged in his throat. "Eliza, you… you, ah…" He swallowed again. "You should not have spoken as you did." There. That was better. Or at least, it was _something_.

"I should not have spoken as I did?" she repeated flatly. "I spoke exactly as I should! Who does the girl think she is, to gad about in such a way as she does? To speak to me the ways she did. And you only sat there and let her continue!" Her voice rose in volume and pitch as she spoke and stood from the stool she was sat on part way through the bile that spilled from her mouth.

"It does not matter how she gads about! It should be no concern of yours!" he shot back straightening and glaring down at her.

"I will determine what should and should not be my concern." she said. "And anyone who our son may be exposed to is of concern to me. I would prefer she be kept from him entirely but I know that is not like to happen so long as your brother calls her friend! I do not want Thomas being influenced by the manners of a country nobody."

"She may have been a country nobody once, Eliza, but not any longer. You insulted a person who is not your inferior or your equal but your social superior."

"The little mouse is not my social superior." Eliza hissed.

"You may choose not to recognise it but it cannot be denied. In fact, Lady Morpeth was your social superior even before her marriage. She was always a gentleman's daughter. You, however, were born to cits and have married cits, for did not both I and the late Mr Campion make our fortunes in trade, Wife?" Sidney knew it was a mistake to have raised that particular fact to her awareness at that particular moment.

The room was silent as their argument rose to a crescendo and halted, teetering on a brink. Eliza's lips were pressed into a line so firmly that all colour had been wiped from them, her bearing still and tightly coiled. Sidney could feel the heat of a vein throbbing at his temple and his heart hammering as he struggled to maintain the tight hold on his own temper.

_Perhaps it would be better to continue this at another time?_ Sidney thought when faced with his wife's growing fury. But Eliza would not have that and spoke again as her husband moved to leave. They would have this conversation and they would have it now. It was long overdue.

She let the tension within uncoil and said, more softly but still harshly, "I am not a fool, Sidney Parker."

Sidney froze with his hand resting upon the doorknob. He recognised that tone; was intimately familiar with it. Had he not spoken with it himself when told Charlotte… _Lady Morpeth_ that he had intended to offer for her and then disappointed both their hopes? When he had said that final goodbye on the clifftop road that took her away from them?

"We had not been married for very long when I realised you had not really wanted to offer for me. I knew you wanted her but I deluded myself into not seeing it. I still wanted you then, Sidney, and I was not prepared to let our choices separate us again. I hate her. I hate her because I know that, given even half an opportunity, you would choose her and I would lose you." Eliza had been approaching him slowly as she spoke and reached out to him as she finished speaking.

Sidney jerked away from her touch and turned his head in her direction; not so far as to risk meeting her gaze but enough for her to see the profile of his face and the clenching of the muscles long his jawline.

"Your choices, Eliza. They were your choices." He reminded her and pulled the door open then, striding out into the hallway and shutting it harshly behind him.

He had to get out of that house.

* * *

The end of the week saw the arrival of high society _en masse,_ spearheaded by the sudden appearance of Lady Susan. The Marchioness, having arrived late the evening before, had been met with Sidney Parker who was out on yet another deeply brooding walk in the fading light of the day. It had been a rather uncomfortable encounter as the lady had no great fondness for the gentleman and the gentleman had barely managed an acknowledging nod before moodily stomping on his way.

It had quickly come to the attention of Sanditon's residents that the bitterness shrouding Mr and Mrs Parker's marriage had seemingly come to a head and the domestics, who enjoyed a surge in number during the week of the Regatta, were only too happy to impart on their temporary masters and mistresses the knowledge of his general incivility and boorishness and her unusually withdrawn temperament.

So, it came as no real surprise to Lady Susan to learn the next day, upon calling unannounced and asking after Lady Morpeth, that Charlotte and George's arrival had likely been the instigating incident of that choice piece of gossip. Though she was disappointed to learn that she had missed the opportunity to witness her first encounters with both halves of the unfortunate pair.

"Oh. Well, then I shall simply content myself with espying what altercations yet remain." She… well, she didn't _quite_ shrug, that would be unbecoming of a lady, but the blasé little moue she made with her shoulders had a similar effect.

Charlotte had responded to this comment with a rare look of irritation and expressed her wish that people would find something else to fixate on than her history with the Parkers. She did not understand the appeal of it and confessed the attention only made for more embarrassment. Lady Susan laughed at her friend's naiveté and confided that she still had a great deal to learn about the ways of the _Ton_.

Lady Susan was very much looking forward to seeing what the week of the Regatta would bring. She was certain there would be altercations aplenty to be entertained by. She certainly knew of some who would delight in the opportunity to flaunt their good fortune, and if their flaunting also happened to have the effect of tormenting a certain Sidney Parker then all the better.


	33. Chapter 33

Lady Denham's Dinner party took place on a Friday and was attended, as it had been every year, by the principle inhabitants of the town. This year, though, there were two notable additions: the Viscount and Viscountess Morpeth. No one was surprised by the Viscountess' inclusion; the dinner celebrated the anniversary of the first Sanditon Regatta and it would have been very strange not to invite the very woman who had volunteered the original idea.

However, despite the rumours and their presence about the town, it would seem that some residents had miraculously remained oblivious to her presence, so, while unsurprised at the invitation being extended to her, they had been unaware that she had not only married, but married so highly and that the old dragon appeared to approve of the gentleman. It was well known, after all, that Lady Denham did not like to be uninformed and did not like to alter her plans for the convenience of others.

Regardless, many of the same individuals who had attended Lady Denham's Dinner to welcome Georgiana to Sanditon were present again that evening. The entire Parker family made up quite half of the guests who were seated at the long table in Lady Denham's dining room. The other half consisted of Miss Lambe, Miss Enworth, Lord and Lady Babington who had arrived from town that morning much to Charlotte's surprise, Mr Crowe, and of course George and Charlotte.

The feast of dishes decorating the table exhibited the skill and artistry of the lady's cook with platters of roasted poultry and game, creamy potato creations, buttery vegetables and towers of candied fruits. If one thing must be acknowledged, however, it could only be the relief felt by all at the absolute lack of pineapples.

As it turned out, Lady Denham had not drawn quite the same conclusions from her first unfortunate attempt at obtaining the exotic fruit as all others had. The disparity in reaction had led to another rather painful moment in the intervening years that had since earned the astute sobriquet of 'the pineapple incident'. It should suffice to say that no one wished to see it repeated and the pineapple was, thenceforth, considered illegal to the local society.

Conversations varied throughout the evening but the cultivated avoidance and resulting tension between four notable individuals could not be ignored. In fact, everyone present seemed to have been drawn into the interactions which surely precipitated the events of the rest of the evening.

When the Babington's arrived in Sanditon, Esther had immediately made her way to Sanditon House while her husband intended to impose himself on Sidney's hospitality for what remained of the day. He had not imposed himself upon his friend for very much longer than it took for the other man to learn of his knowledge of Lady Morpeth's affairs and retreated with haste to the tavern with Mr. Crowe in the hopes of avoiding his friend's temper.

Likewise, Lady Babington had determined to devote what energy was not currently spent attending her husband, son or managing the discomfort of her condition on supporting her friend with what she was sure was a decidedly intolerable position to find oneself in. She did not believe Charlotte's protests that she was not as troubled by the situation as others seemed inclined to wish her to be. She thought her friend rather paler than she remembered with an air of waning energy and strength.

It can only be expected that Tom and Mary would find themselves thrust into the midst of their brother's discontentment and the animosity displayed between the two couples; or rather, the animosity shown by one and directed to the other. Though the former seemed to be typically ignorant to the poisonous atmosphere, recognising only that his brother did not seem to be his usual self. Even Arthur and Diana were sensible to the tension and unusually reserved.

Only four people seemed outwardly unaffected by the unpleasantness. Charity Entworth was not acquainted with the full history between the two couples and with confusion could only assume some trifling disagreement had been had and hoped the hostility would fade quickly. Lady Denham simply did not care for their foolishness and chose to disregard all consideration or mention of it. Georgiana was quite unabashedly amused and could be heard snickering with frequency at any moment she had occasion to observe the glares being passed around the room like a virus. And Mr. Crowe… well, as usual, Mr. Crowe was far too interested in the diminishing contents of his flask to accommodate much more within the realm of his attention than the minimum requirement of monosyllabic responses to the conversation attempts made by his dinner partners.

The meal itself passed in tolerable liveliness for most, despite the rising tension felt by certain parties, and when the final course was cleared the guests retreated to the drawing room in their entirety. This was due in part to a recognition that separation of the sexes may not have a desirable effect on that occasion but also out of curiosity as to the inevitable confrontation they were sure to witness amongst the ladies.

No one was disappointed. The group had been settled for not five minutes before Eliza opened her mouth and proceeded to further the depths of social stupidity she had displayed earlier that week.

"I suppose by now, Lady Morpeth, you have heard that your... _au naturel_ escapade has become common knowledge? How embarrassing that must be for you." she said as she joined the card table the Viscountess was sat at engaging in a game of bridge with Lady Babington, Miss Lambe and Miss Entworth.

Charlotte startled at the older woman's address which had been uncharacteristically polite though her words made false the nature of her tone. The rest of the room froze; Lady Denham silenced from holding court over the remaining Parkers and Lord Morpeth shifting his attention from his discussion with Babington and Crowe to closely watch the interaction his wife was having.

"You seem to be misinformed, Mrs Parker. My husband and I were unclothed, certainly, but we were not so completely exposed as you suggest. I can only assume you take some issue with our choosing to swim without donning the proper sea bathing garments despite retaining the same degree of modesty."

George was a tolerant person by nature but the shrew was testing the limits of patience. It was fortunate that his wife was so competent at handling herself and his intervention was rarely required.

Elize floundered for an instant but recovered quickly, if one had not witness the violence that flared to life in her eyes and the dissatisfied tilt of her lips, one might think it had never occurred. "You do not feel shame in demonstrating such a conceited flaunting of how ill prepared you are to be a peeress?" her tone retained its saccharine quality.

George moved to defend his wife at the vicious taunt but his intent was anticipated and prevented by Lord Babington. "Let your wife handle this, Morpeth." He cautioned with a grasp on the younger man's arm. "If you interfere now, you will only lend credence to the insult and further encourage her. Charlotte needs to prove she is capable of meeting the demands of her position."

"She shouldn't have to."

Crowe was the one to respond to this. "No, she shouldn't have to; yet she must now that her competence has been questioned." His companions glanced at each other and then to him incredulously. Crowe huffed as he raised his flask to his lips. "I'm not completely inept, gentlemen."

Crowe was right however, Charlotte's ability to satisfy her responsibilities had been challenged and she would defend herself. After all, she had never been one to run from a challenge and she wasn't going to start now.

"Should I feel shame? I was not aware it was shameful to enjoy excursion with one's husband. But then you have been known to believe reading an unsophisticated pursuit and the country gentry your inferiors so I would not expect you to understand." There was a pause as Charlotte set down her hand of cards and turned to face Eliza before she continued.

"As for being ill-equipped to manage my new station, I am prepared to cede that I have a great deal to learn before I could truly consider myself as being properly equipped to support my husband as his Viscountess. I am not however nearly so ignorant of the demands of managing such affairs as I have taken on as you may wish to believe, Mrs Parker. It may not be so expansive as my husband's family's holdings, but I have been mistress of an estate that is mine by right and by law these past three years almost, and despite my marriage that estate remains my own.

"I was raised by my mother with the knowledge of managing a household and taught by my father to monitor accounts and balance books, to assess tenant holdings and oversee their maintenance, I managed his business affairs when he or my older brothers could not. Am I still ill-prepared for such endeavours, Mrs Parker?"

Eliza was frozen at receiving so firm a set down from a girl who, in her previous experience, she would not have thought capable of such a thing. Her face burned as she struggled to process just how wrong she had been and failed to find any words to express neither displeasure, nor surprise, nor an apology for her assumption.

Charlotte, whose bearing had been drawn higher and tighter as she spoke, dismissed the unsettled woman upon realising there was nothing more that was likely to be said that evening in favour of returning to her game of cards. George, whose arm had since been released by Babington went to join her, shooting a dark look that promised retribution at Eliza as he passed her.

He did not leave Charlotte's side again that night and if the couple departed earlier than was technically polite, no one could find the will to disapprove of it. Fortunately, Sidney Parker had quickly determined that they would receive a frosty reception if they remained much longer after his own wife's outburst and made their excuses before escorting harshly commanding Eliza to remove herself. The whole room seemed to release a mighty exhale as they took the tension with them.

Sidney and Eliza Parker were conspicuously absent from the cricket match the next day, to the great relief of Charlotte and George and the great disappointment of Lady Susan, Lady Granville and Lady Howard. Lady Susan had been much looking forward to introducing her friends to the wretched pair that had caused her friend such suffering and, unbeknownst to them, brough her into their lives. She was sure they would enjoy what was to come as much as she would.

It transpired that the cricket match was a rather sedate affair with the only excitement coming from the game itself. Many of the same workers that had played in the original played again in this one and in all the matches betwixt the two. The gentlemen's team however seemed to change year on year. Tom Parker had stepped forward to play that year and was joined by Lord Babington, Lord Morpeth and Mr Crowe, though the last gentleman had been reduced to the position of substitute. There were a number of other gentlemen, a mixture of residents and visitors, but whose identities Charlotte was ignorant to.

The gentlemen won that year, though it had been a close call. Charlotte, having not had the opportunity to witness her husband's sportsmanship had been in equal parts breathless and excited and concerned at the sight of it and desperately wished she could get away with playing herself once more. She thought they would make an excellent team for he was an atrocious batsman where she was brilliant, though she did not wish to boast even within the confines of her own mind, and a skilled bowler where she would always toss the ball too far left or right of the batsman. But then the rules of gameplay were not so convenient as that; they would be more likely to make a remarkably ineffective and ridiculous team and be laughed at by all.

Fun was to be had by every quarter and once the match was over, the players and spectators had enjoyed a light, if late, luncheon sat upon the sand. Diana and Arthur Parker had taken a page out of their brother's book and alternated between being excessively excited by the affair and typically apprehensive that they or someone else would be disastrously injured by a flyaway bat or ball.

The launch of the annual regatta that year was considered a resounding success, due in no small part, in the minds of the town's residents and regular visitors, to the choice to stay away that day by two individuals who surely no longer need naming.

Much of the gathered crowd began to drift away, returning to their homes and rented abodes long before the sun began to set, some to prepare for evening entertainments and others to enjoy an evening of peace with their loved ones. George and Charlotte intended similar things when they departed, leaving behind only the fleet of hired staff clearing away the remains of their celebrations and the carousing sounds of bucks and drunks led, as can only be expected, by Mr Crowe who would no doubt delight in the pleasures of their spirits and later what willing womenfolk they could find long into the night.

As was their wont, they ate lightly again, late in the evening when the light of the sun's rays had dipped below the horizon, and retired to bed where they lay in each other's arms and spoke of happy things and their surprise at seeing his relatives among the revellers. Though George, to Charlotte's mind, did not seen so surprised as she or even so surprised as he ought to have been.

When they slept it was peacefully and without dreams, a thing they would find themselves grateful for the next day in all its anticipated excitement.


	34. Chapter 34

The Sanditon Regatta had begun in earnest. The townspeople had ventured from their homes and the beach and riverside fields had filled with crowds before the sun had reached its zenith. When Charlotte and George arrived, she had been quickly surrounded by the younger Parker children who quickly persuaded her to help them build their sandcastle for the children's competition that morning.

To Charlotte's surprise, Eliza could be seen sitting on a blanket in the sand with her son as he piled up a misshapen mound of the grainy substance with his hands. Mrs Parker's despair at the mess little Thomas had made of himself could be seen by all but no one could deny the fondness in her expression as she watched him.

"Mrs Parker." she said as she was towed past the mother and son by the eager the little hands that held her own.

Eliza looked up and frowned at the sight of the younger woman but nodded in acknowledgement of the greeting. "Lady Morpeth, good morning." She would not do anything to further alienate what few friends she had in the seaside town and the former Miss Heywood was well liked. Elize had no intention of being more friendly than was necessary, however, and quickly returned her attention to Thomas as he tried to shove his sand-covered fist into his mouth.

Charlotte studied Eliza for a moment before her attention was caught by the slip of her shoe and she fought to correct her balance before she tumbled to the ground. The little hand in hers, which belonged to Henry, tugged at her own and she began walking with him to join his sisters at their spot in the sand.

The morning passed quickly as Charlotte poured her attention into supporting the children to achieve their lofty sandcastle dreams. George watched his wife from the shade of the marquee that had been sent up by the circulating library while in conversation with Babington, Crowe and the Parker brothers as wagers were made on the outcomes of the various events to be held throughout the week. The group of gentlemen had been abandoned quickly by Sidney Parker who was still displeased with his friend and had no wish to be in the Viscount's company.

The Ladies had spent the earlier hours of the morning touring the town and making the acquaintance of some of the local people and emerged onto the strand shortly before the judging of the sandcastle competition commenced. Lady Susan had made the introductions between the Ladies Howard and Granville and Lady Denham, Tom, Mary, Sidney and Eliza Parker with great delight at the reactions she garnered from them and which ranged from pleasant friendliness to cold incivility. The sisters, for their own part, delighted in causing vexation to the individuals they met and were sure to scrutinise the couple who had previously caused their Charlotte such unhappiness.

As it turned out, none of the Parker children won the sandcastle competition that year, ceding victory to the son of the architect who had been employed to replace the young Mr Stringer in supervising the ongoing construction and expansion of the town. It was betwixt the judging and the start of the boat race that Sidney determined to speak once more to Charlotte. He had to make his feelings known to her; bring their unaltered state to her awareness.

He was not to succeed in his endeavour that day though for his plan was foiled by Lady Worcester. The Marchioness had been observing him and, upon the realisation that he intended to corner her friend, excused herself from her company to interfere with his plans.

Lady Susan positioned her person in his path and mulishly monopolised his attention. "Mr Parker, it has been sometime since you have been seen engaging in the fashionable pursuits to be had in Town." she said as she inconspicuously manoeuvred him away from his intended direction. "I confess it surprises me. I would have thought your wife reluctant to give up its pleasures."

Sidney scowled down at the interfering piece of skirt that had put herself in his way. "You are correct, Lady Worcester. My wife does not readily remove herself from Town when there is entertainment to be had." Sidney looked away from the woman before him to gaze at another and gave a reluctant sigh when he saw that she had returned to her husband's side and appeared to be having a merry time of things with Lady Babington, his ward and Miss Entworth.

"I have found the city to have lost some of its attraction in recent years and there is always business to be handled elsewhere." he continued, knowing he had lost his chance today. "Mrs Parker, however, makes time enough to travel when she wishes, though she is often alone or accompanied by my ward."

"And how _is_ Mrs Parker? I'm sure you must find her as delightful as ever you did before your marriage." Lady Susan dissembled with a sharp smile. Oh, she was eager to hear what he would say to that.

"I assume she is as well one can be, ma'am." he said shortly as he searched for some means of escaping the lady's clutches. His luck proved itself absent when the Countess of Carlisle approached with Lady Denham.

"You _assume_ your wife is in good health? Should you not, as her husband, make it your business to _know_ these things, Sir?" Lady Howard asked as they reached her friend and the reprobate she was speaking with. "You must make for a very inconsiderate husband; your wife is to be pitied."

Eliza, who had been standing but a few short paces away and overheard much of the conversation contemplated this last question from the esteemed peeress and started at the knowledge that he husband had not cared to ask after her wellbeing in some time. If ever she had had cause to question his affection for her, this served as proof of it.

She had seen the way he looked at the Viscountess Morpeth, the longing he directed at the other woman and the growing disdain and ignorance he showed his own family… showed her. She knew he regretted offering for her, knew that he had done it solely out of loyalty to his brother, but she had hoped they might recapture what had once been lost all those years ago. She had been wrong. Eliza turned and walked away then, desiring to hear no more of their conversation.

Lady Howard watched woman leave. She had meant what she said; no woman, no matter how disagreeable they were, deserved to face scorn from their own husbands. She had seen too many friends lose themselves to it in their own marriages to wish such a thing upon anyone.

"You always were a fool, Sidney Parker." was the declaration Lady Denham made as she witnessed the dynamic shifting between these people. "You passed over a pearl and cannot even be satisfied with what worth there is to be found in the diamond you chose instead."

"I could not agree more, Lady Denham, Charlotte is incomparable and only a fool would not recognise it and claim it when the chance was to be had." the Marchioness concurred to the murmuring nod of her friend.

"You lost any chance you had with my daughter-in-law when you failed to follow through on intentions you had made known to her all those years ago, Mr Parker. Now she is my son's wife and our family will brook no encroachment upon her person or her wellbeing. You would be wise not to persist. Even your own wife, who is a grasping opportunist, has shown that she can recognise a battle she cannot win and picks her fights." Lady Howard cautioned and was pleased to see that the man before he went pale at her words.

Neither of the ladies remained and departed in favour of the greener pastures to be found among their friends and family as they enjoyed the luncheon prepared by the cook at Lady Susan's residence on a grassy dune. Sidney, when he was free of them. went in search of his wife and son and found them under small marquee browsing through the books on display from the circulating library.

He lifted Thomas up from peeking over the edges of some stacked crates that Eliza was examining and held the little boy aloft in him arms.

"Thomas wanted a new book, Sidney. What do you think? Shall we borrow _Rip Van Winkle_ or _The Little Sailor Boy_?" Eliza asked as she extracted those volumes from the crate as her husband approached.

"A new book, hmm? Surely we can't already have finished the last one?" he asked and looked at their son then back to Eliza. "I think we might have a little scholar in the making!"

"He certainly does go through enough of these things." She smiled at Thomas and waved the books she held. "Shall we get both of them Thomas?" The little boy beamed and clapped his hand and cried out excitedly. Both it was and a few minutes later they left behind the shade of the tent in search of Tom and his family. They were to be found in another tent enjoying, as Charlotte's could been seen doing further up the shoreline with her own family, some light refreshments while they waited for the worst of the noontime heat to pass.

Eliza, he noticed, was unusually quiet, sullen even when Thomas was not occupying her attention with his childish energy. He hoped she had not taken their recent arguments and set downs to hardly. For all their marriage was fraught with tension, her confidence and determination in the face of any sort of adversity that put itself in her way had always drawn him to her and he would hate to see her lose it.

Sidney did not have the opportunity to spend long on that thinking as one of his nieces approached with a set of horseshoes in hand and asked if little Thomas could play with them as the master of ceremonies called for the rowers in the boat race to take their places.

Charlotte had also observed the unfolding conversation between Sidney, Lady Susan, her mother-in-law and Lady Denham with wariness as she returned to her husband and their friends.

"Lady Susan appears to be enjoying making an obstacle of herself." Esther observed as they watched the confrontation between the two. Charlotte nodded distractedly wondering if it was wise to provoke him. He seemed to rather highly-strung presently and she wasn't certain how he would react to aggravation. When she voiced this, Lord Babington, who had joined them since her own arrival, merely shrugged off her concerns; Sindey was a grown man and capable of handling himself, _even against so terrifying an adversary as the Marchioness of Worcester._

Charlotte did not dwell long on Sidney Parker and missed the addition of the Countess and Lady Denham to the altercation. Instead their conversation turned to tales of their recent exploits and adventures and the group laughed heartily at hearing of Charlotte's almost tumbling her and the Viscount into a lake during the early days of their acquaintance and Georgiana's frequent flouting of ladylike behaviour.

As the sun rose high in the sky, they searched for a spot to take their luncheon and Charlotte suggested the grassy knoll near the cliff-face where they might set down a blanket or two and enjoy the view of the sea and the crowd while they ate. Georgiana and Charity agreed it was an excellent spot though the Babingtons declined to join them, opting instead to find a covered table and Lady Babington citing the difficulty in regaining altitude once she was down.

They had just finished laying out the blankets and edible wares that had been entrusted into the girls' keeping when they were joined by the Ladies, Lady Denham having joined her niece, and the next hour was enjoyed by all. When the Master of Ceremonies announced that the boat race was set to begin, they abandoned their picnic to join the spectators and cheer on the men that had chosen to compete, the number having grown from two teams to six that year.

There was an atmosphere of exhilaration to be felt as the group added their numbers to those already gathered as the gun fired and the race began. Thankfully, there was no drunken steering to be had that year, though many could report hearing Mr Crowe's grumbling at being forbidden to venture near a rudder.

The afternoon still proved eventful though as shouts and encouraging cheering could be heard along a long stretch of the riverbank from the little jetty that served as a starting point to the finish line that was marked by ribbons and garlands strung from two trees on opposite banks.

The first of the boats had could be seen making their way around a bend in the river when a great groan could be heard. No one knew quite what to make of it at first and quickly dismissed it from their thought as the other teams came into view. What happened next occurred very suddenly.

A large tree with drooping branches that brushed the surface of the water began to tilt and crack as the boats passed under it and, before their very eyes, came crashing down, smashing one of the boats and the rowers within it as its great roots tore free from their soil. The impact of the falling timber on the surface of the river sent the currents crashing into the boats as the teams lost control of their crafts and boats capsized and men were tossed into the murky water.

Panic ensued as the rowers emerged once more and dragged themselves out of the river and those men in the watching crowd who considered themselves strong swimmers launched into the water to help pull the boats ashore and help the team who had been caught in the path of the devastating collapse.

With collectively bated breath, the crowd waited to if they would emerge unharmed and a great sigh of relief let loose as the first of the men was helped from the water with little more than some unflattering surface scratches. It was only as the second man emerged from the wreckage that Charlotte realised that it was Sidney's team that had been caught in it.

Eliza came to that very realisation in almost the same instant and, with a cry of distress, thrust her son into his uncle's arms and ran towards the broken boat and wading into the shallows calling out her husband's name. It was a heart wrenching sight to behold as she disregarded the mess she had made of her skirts while Lord Babington chased after her and held her back, yelling at her over her hysterical screams to _let the men find him, to not get in the way_.

It felt like hours passed as they waited to learn his fate, though in truth it was mere seconds. And then at last a pair emerged, one man dragging an unconscious and bloodied Sidney Parker through the waters. Eliza sagged at the sight of him, caught between relief that he had been found and worry over the state he was in.


	35. Chapter 35

The previous days events had ended abruptly following the accident. Sidney had been placed immediately into a carriage by the sailor who had hauled him out of the water and taken immediately home, an ashen and silent Eliza clutching his hand and little Thomas left in the attentive care of his aunt and uncle. Tom and Mary followed with their nephew and were gratefully accepted Charlotte and Esther's offer to watch their own children that evening that they might be with their brother.

Doctor Fuchs was sent for and arrived at the Parkers Sanditon home with all due haste to assess the seriousness of the injury. He determined Sidney to have bruised and possibly fractured ribs and concussion. This news was received by the family with much relief that no more serious injuries had been sustained and a bone setter would not be needed. Sidney would recover completely so long as he followed the physician's advice.

His ribs were wrapped and his wife, family and household instructed to remain with him until he woke and to change the compress over the wound on his head twice each day. His concussion would be resolved once he regained consciousness and laudanum added to his fluids to manage any pain while his injuries healed. Under no circumstances, they were told, should he engage in rigorous pursuit for at least a month complete.

Doctor Fuchs departed confident in his assessment of his patient and the doctoring administered but burdened the family with the importance of sending for him once more if the gentleman had not awoken in two days or if his condition seemed to take a turn for the worse.

Tom and Mary remained a few hours more but returned to their own home when evening came to relieve Charlotte and Esther of the care of their own children. It was agreed that little Thomas would stay with them until his father awoke to avoid frightening the boy and to allow Eliza to see to Sidney's care.

Charlotte was quick to ask after Sidney when Tom and Mary arrived home late that evening after the children had been put to bed and their worries over their uncle temporarily soothed. The four adults were sat in the drawing room, Esther and Babington having departed immediately upon their return to take their own child home and retire to bed themselves. As Mary assured them that Sidney would be well.

"Doctor Fuchs is confident he will make a full recovery providing he regains his awareness in a timely fashion, though we are sure poor Sidney will be in a good deal of pain for some time."

"We are pleased to hear it. But Laudanum, Mary? Does not Sidney despise the stuff?" Charlotte frowned as she posed the question. "Perhaps we will pay them a call tomorrow and I can take some the tea my brothers take when they are injured. They do injure themselves so frequently that it would be terribly expensive to be always replacing a stock of the stuff and the herbs in the tea are truly much better for one's health and more affordably obtained."

Charlotte and George did not remain much longer and were eager to be home after the excitement of the day. They did not eat upon returning home, having been provided with adequate refreshment by the Parker's cook, but retired immediately to their bedchamber and the waiting embrace of sleep.

The second day of the Regatta was tame by comparison. Sidney and Eliza were absent from the festivities and Tom and Mary had brought their children and nephew to enjoy the lawn games and treasure hunt that had been planned for that day.

George and Charlotte spent their morning playing a game of pall mall in one Sanditon's public gardens with the Parker children while their friends and family watched from the shade of the trees that lined the park's walkways. Jenny Parker won the first game but lost the second to her sister Alicia; George proved himself an inadequate player but took the teasing from his wife and family in good faith, promising that had it been a fencing or boxing match he would have won every time.

They retreated to join the rest of their group in the cool shade under the trees after the final game as the four children darted away to join the search for treasures around the park, Tom and Mary following them with Esther and her son to supervise them. They enjoyed an excellent luncheon on pies and fruit and cake and freshly pressed juice and lemonade as they waited for the midday heat to pass.

George was sat reading a book while Charlotte leant against him and engaged Georgiana and Charity in conversation while Crowe found himself being interrogated by the Ladies and providing Babington a source of much amusement. George looked up from his book as his wife shifted against him and noticed that she had barely taken a few bites to eat despite having selected and packed the fare herself that morning.

"Are you not going to eat any more, Charlotte? You seem to have lost your appetite. Is all well, my love?" He asked, concerned at the changes in his wife that he had observed over the past weeks.

"I'm not sure I could stomach much else, George, the smell of it makes my stomach roll. It is unusual though. I adore these little tarts and asked Mrs Pryde to make them specially. Perhaps something I've eaten recently has left me unsettled?" said Charlotte as she picked up one of the little meat and potato tarts and turned it in her hands before setting it back down as the smell invaded her senses and her lips pulled down in a grimace.

Lady Howard had turned to look contemplatively at her son's wife as she overheard their conversation. "You should try to finish something at least, my dear. You'll need it to see you through what remains of the day before the dinner hours arrive." she pressed the younger woman, suspecting what may have caused the changes in her and knowing that sustenance was necessary if not appetising. "If you truly feel you cannot tolerate anything here, perhaps you should go home and see what else can be had? A few hours of rest might also do you some good, you look quite wan, child."

Lady Susan and Lady Granville, who had paused their own discussion on Lord and Lady Granville's approaching return to France where the Viscount was set to resume his duties as Ambassador at the end of the summer, caught on to the Countess' thinking and voiced their own agreement with the proposed change in the couple's plans for the day.

George thought it an excellent idea. He was concerned that Charlotte had eaten very little at their meals since their arrival and, though he had initially assumed the change to be due to nerves, now wondered if there was not some more serious malady troubling her. Nourishment and rest would certainly do her some good for her complexion had become increasingly pale and her energy reduced in recent days.

The couple agreed, reluctantly on Charlotte's part, and departed shortly. The items that formed their picnic would be returned by his mother later in the day or on the morrow. They spent the early afternoon in company in the house's small library, George seeing to his correspondence and Charlotte nibbling her way through some bread crusts and cheese as she read a novel.

Such was the beneficial effects of an afternoon spent so peacefully, that by the time proper calling hours came, Charlotte felt much more settled and a good deal of her energy returned. Remembering her discussion with Tom and Mary the previous evening, she went to the kitchens and enquired after the availability of ginger, willow bark and mint and when it was determined no willow bark was to be had, a maid was sent to fetch some from the nearest herbalist. Charlotte then set about searching for a small tin that might be used as a tea caddy and combining the ingredients with a simple blend of dark tea.

The couple then dressed themselves for their evening commitments as they were set to attend a dinner and concert hosted by a local family who Charlotte could vaguely remember from her first visit to the town but, having spent little time in their company, had some difficulty in fully recollecting them and hoped that seeing them would resolve the issue. They were on their way an hour or two earlier than was needed but intended to call first on Sidney and Eliza to enquire after the former's wellbeing, offer what assistance they could give to the latter and deliver the tea blend Charlotte had suggested might be appreciated.

Their carriage rolled along the cobbled streets of the town towards the fashionable and well-appointed street where the Parkers had made their home. Charlotte was handed down from the carriage by a footman, her husband following behind them as they approached the house and were granted entrance by the butler who went to inform his mistress of her callers.

Sidney had awoken in the late morning to the sensation of a cool, wet cloth across his forehead followed by the placement of a foul-smelling compress over his brow. He lay there on his bed for some seconds trying to comprehend how he had come to be there for the last he remembered was sitting in a boat and rowing downriver only to wake to an obnoxious pounding behind his skull and a bone deep ache across his chest.

"Sidney?" Eliza had said when she noticed his eyes flickering behind closed lids and jumped up as he released a pained groan at the perceived volume of her voice. He tried to sit up but gentle hands pushed him back down and advised him not to move yet. It did not take long to realise the painful futility of the action as his movement jostled his being and searing pain shot through him.

"Eliza?" he groaned as he opened his eyes to the sight of his wife hovering over him. "What happened?"

"There was an accident. A tree collapsed during the boat race and your team were caught under it. You hit your head quite hard. We were so worried, Sidney, when you did not come up with the other rowers. You're very lucky you weren't more seriously injured than a cut on your head and some bruised ribs." She said as she plumped his pillows and helped into a more upright position.

"I'm not sure my head and ribs agree with the assessment that I'm lucky." He groused as another twinge subsided.

"Oh! Oh, you are in pain! Dr Fuchs left some laudanum. I shall add a dash to some tea for you." Eliza flustered and moved to the door to call a maid but was stopped when Sidney told her he would have none of the stuff and would bear the pain instead.

"Sidney! I know you despise it but surely you cannot want to be in this constant pain for weeks. If not for yourself, won't you at least take it so Thomas will not have to see you like this?" She tried to persuade him to take the painkilling concoction but he would not hear of it. Neither he nor anyone else in his household would take the stuff and he would prefer it removed entirely.

Eliza was not a fool. She knew he would not be moved once settled on his decision so she reluctantly ceded to his wishes. She would ask Doctor Fuchs if there was some other means of managing his pain. With that business resolved and a plan in mind, she instead asked the maid who arrived to see that a tray of tea was sent up with a light broth for her husband and a few cold cuts and some cheese for herself.

"Where is Thomas?" Sidney asked when the maid disappeared to carry out her mistress' orders.

"Tom and Mary have had him since yesterday afternoon. We thought it best that he not be here until you had woken and we knew that you would be well. His staying with his aunt and uncle also meant that I could stay here with you. They will bring him home this evening after he has been fed." She replied as she sat back down in the chair that had been placed beside the bed the day before.

They ate in silence. Sidney scowled at his meals being reduced to the awful broth that was typical of a sick room. Eliza, now reassured that he was in no lasting danger, scoffed at his irritation and scolded him for being ungrateful. Eliza left Sidney to rest after their meal for he was struggling to keep his eyes open and instructed his valet to stay with him.

She was I below stairs going through household accounts and planning meals for the next week when their butler informed her that she had callers waiting above-stairs. Eliza instructed their butler to show her guests to the drawing room and took her leave of the housekeeper to greet them.

She was surprised when she entered the drawing to find that it was Lord and Lady Morpeth who had come to call. But she would play the gracious hostess and offered them tea and refreshments. They declined. They intended to remain only a very short while as they were on their way to a dinner party and had no need of refreshment beforehand but thanked her for the offer.

The room was silent then and the birds and the sounds of the night-time activity could be heard through the sash windows that had been opened to let the house breathe that day, thinking cleaner air would be better for the master of the house.

"We wonder if Mr Parker is in any better condition today than he was yesterday?" The viscount ventured at last, realising that neither his wife nor their hostess could be depended upon to speak first.

"Yes, yes he is much better today, though in a good deal of pain still."

"That is relieving to hear, you must have found great reassurance in the good doctor's prognosis? Mary informed us that Mr Parker's injuries are not so serious as they might have been, had he been less fortunate or in poorer general health." said Charlotte.

"Yes, Lady Morpeth, I was very relieved to know that my husband would recover completely given proper care and the fullness of time." She smiled tightly at the younger woman, wondering at their purpose for being in her home. Eliza was about the ask after their intention in calling but found her question answered as the Viscountess spoke first.

"If I remember correctly, your husband has expressed abhorrence of the use of opiates and seems likely to refuse the use of laudanum in relieving his pain?" Charlotte asked as she picked up her reticule to retrieve the improvised tea caddy contained within. She looked up once more as she pulled it out to find Mrs Parker observing her warily. Charlotte tried to smile reassuringly, certain that the other woman would not appreciate the implication that she knew such intimate details of her husband's beliefs and preferences.

"You would be correct, my lady."

"I am glad to hear my understanding confirmed. I would hate to have gone to the trouble of obtaining this and have the gesture proved futile. It is a blend of tea my mother always keeps available. My brother's you see are prone to injuring themselves at any and every opportunity and it would be quite expensive to be always restocking such medicines as laudanum. We discovered that adding a little ginger, mint and willow bark to some tea had a very similar effect at dulling the pain without the cost of a painkiller from an apothecary or physician. I thought it might be appreciated." Charlotte explained the gift and passed it into Eliza hands.

Eliza could not deny her surprise at the generous gesture as she accepted the tin which the blend was stored in. If the other woman was right and the concoction did take away even some of her husband's pain, she would be very glad and have no need to further burden the good doctor.

"I… I thank you for your kindness, Lady Morpeth. It is much appreciated." She wondered briefly if the younger girl had some ulterior motive behind her actions.

"You need not thank us, Mrs Parker. I was in a position to help and so I did, it was no trouble. I am not sure what I would do if it had been Lord Morpeth who was injured, though I think I would be glad of any support to be found. It must be a difficult thing and I wished only to ease your own burden as well as his." Eliza knew then that, though Charlotte Heywood may have loved Sidney once, she clearly had no present intention of pursuing him and was very happy with her own husband. The adoring and vaguely distressed gaze she directed at the Viscount when speaking of the possibility of him being the one injured could only serve as proof.

Eliza thanked them again and the Viscountess' reaction to the various tinctures left behind by Doctor Fuchs further convinced Eliza that the girl posed no true threat to her marriage. She recognised the way the other woman's nose crinkled as she raised a gloved hand to cover it and waft away the smell. Eliza had experienced much the same unpleasantness when carrying Thomas.

The Viscount also noticed his wife's discomfort and made their excuses. "My wife and I both hope that your husband will be recovered and on his feet in good time. We must take our leave of you now, however, or we risk being late to our appointment this evening. Good day, Mrs Parker" he said as they rose and moved, with a polite bow and nod, toward the door where a footman waited outside to see them back to their carriage.

Eliza was left behind feeling a good deal more secure in the future of her marriage. Charlotte Heywood… Lady Morpeth was not worth concerning herself over. Whether her own husband was of the same mind she did not know, but now, at last, she could focus on trying to regain what they had lost so long ago without the worry that the woman she knew he really wanted would want him in return.


	36. Chapter 36

The previous evening had been largely uneventful for the residents of Sanditon. George and Charlotte had enjoyed a pleasant meal, the talents of mediocre musicians and songbirds and, between them, had lost four of the five card games they had joined later in the evening. It was fortunate for them that neither were inclined to betting vast sums of money for they would have lost a fortune that evening to their lack of skill at the card tables.

While Charlotte and George were enjoying an evening of entertainment and gaiety, Eliza had instructed a pot of the herbal tea be brewed for her husband. It proved quite effective at relieving the worst of his pain and their evening was spend more quietly, playing games and reading with their son after he had been returned home by his uncle.

The next day, when it came, also proved itself quiet for the most part. Charlotte and George favoured the shooting that would occur that morning over the tug-of-war to be battled out amongst the men in the afternoon. With their plans for the day set, they rose early to dress and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Charlotte, at the suggestion of Lady Granville, took ginger tea with her meal and found herself much more able to stomach the breakfast wares they had been presented with.

There was something about the ginger tea that roused memories of her mother, though she could not quite reconcile the connection between the two. She knew her mother did not make a habit of drinking a ginger infusion as she typically found the bitterness quite unpleasant. Though, she had always seemed to have a pot of it to hand when her parents were expecting the arrival of each of her... Oh. Oh!

Her mother had only ever taken ginger tea when she was expecting. Charlotte remembered asking her mother once why she drank tea she disliked and had been told that being high in the belly unsettled her mother's appetites and the ginger tea, unpleasant as she found it, was the only thing that settled her well enough to eat.

But though Charlotte remembered her mother's later pregnancies quite well, she had not experienced the same unbearable sickness. Though some smells made her feel a little nauseous, she had yet to cast her crumpets. Charlotte knew, if she were indeed increasing, that the babe could not be more than 8 weeks grown for her last menses had come just days after her wedding, a fact that a quick counting of the weeks confirmed. She remembered how often her mother had felt unable to remove herself from her bed in those early weeks. Indeed, Anne had confided that their mother had claimed the sickness to be the first indication of her condition and that it had been a difficulty her sister had experienced herself when expecting her own children.

Charlotte shook herself out of her thoughts. Dwelling on the possibility would only serve to frazzle her nerves. No. She would find a time to visit Doctor Fuchs and have him confirm her suspicions. But this morning she would enjoy some sporting competition and test her skills with a shotgun against her husband's.

So it was that the Viscount and Viscountess arrived at Sanditon House for the shooting in short time. Lady Denham has generously offered up her late husbands' firearm collections for their perusal and use and the couple each selected a pair of satisfactorily serviceable shotguns for the game shooting.

It transpired that Charlotte proved herself a very skilled shot with that particular weapon and easily down a half dozen more birds than her husband. This was much to his discontent and George spent what was left of the morning grumbling bitterly about his loss, providing very great entertainment to all those who heard him and most particularly to the amusement of Lady Susan.

Having previously witnessed Charlotte joining her husband on his shooting excursions on the occasions that her friend had stayed with her family at their principal seat, Lady Susan could admit no surprise at the girl's skill. In truth she found nothing very shocking at all in the revelation that her young friend could beat most gentlemen in that pursuit. The same, however, could be said of the behaviour she observed from Miss Lambe throughout that day and on previous days spent in the wild girl's company.

It was one thing to be outspoken and opinionated and to engage in sport that was not usually permitted to women. Such was a trait she found very admirable in her friends and it spoke of a strength of character that many of the young ladies she had met in recent years lacked. And Georgiana Lambe was most definitely a girl of strong character.

Her greatest shortcoming lay in her apparent inability to temper her words and observe even the most basic proprieties. Why, she had quite brazenly introduced herself to several unknown individuals, amongst whom could be counted some who looked very severely upon such breaches in manners and others who would surely smell and opportunity to be found in so forward a girl whose wealth and fortune were plain to see.

It surprised Lady Susan that Miss Lambe seemed so ignorant of the risks she took and the danger she courted in acting in such a way. Even more shocking was the observation that the little hoyden knew exactly the spectacle she made and seemed simpler not to care! Something would have to be done about it. Lady Susan was resolved to discuss with her dear friends what might be managed in moderating the child's recklessness and defiance.

That morning was passed with good spirits and excitement while the younger people participated in the shooting and the elder watched from the comforts of a shaded lawn. The Ladies could be found in deep conversation, debating how they might manage to corral Miss Lambe into more ladylike behaviour.

Charlotte and George returned to the terrace for lunch and a quiet afternoon, choosing to forego the rest of the activities that had been planned in favour of each other's company and taking the time to see to their personal correspondence. Their lunch was a light affair as had been usual for them in the heat of the summer and they retreated to the drawing room after they ate. Charlotte had a good deal fewer letters to write, needing only to respond to correspondence from her parents, brother and sister, and some matters that Mr Martin needed her input on regarding Walcot Hall's management. This resulted in Charlotte having completed her business a good while before her husband.

George asked Charlotte to post what letters he had finished, when she told him that she intended to venture out for a walk and post her own on her way out of town. Granted, that bit about the walk was a lie. Though she did plan to stop at the posting inn and gladly took both their correspondence with her, she did not truly intend to walk further than was necessary to find her way to Doctor Fuchs' home.

It was close to an hour later that Charlotte could be seen making her way back home from her visit to the good doctor, having called to hand her post to the post-master who would pass it to the coach when it came through the town. Doctor Fuchs' assessment had confirmed the suspicions that had arisen that morning and Charlotte leisurely strolled through the streets back to their temporary home as she debated whether to share her news with George immediately or wait a little until the riskiest period had passed. Though the physician had declared that may yet be some weeks away and that there would be greater risk of miscarriage until the quickening could be felt.

It was as she made her way through the streets of Sanditon that Sidney came across her and, realising she was alone, grasped the opportunity to speak to her privately. There were no acquaintances to prevent him from achieving his purpose this time.

Sidney had been walking to collect a copy of an essays on the follies of maritime imports and exports and travel more generally that he had ordered and the note confirming its arrival had been dispatched from the bookseller in town. He had used the errand as an excuse to momentarily escape his wife's unreasonable fussing and attention and thus ventured out to collect the parcel, ignoring the jostling pain of the movement that came with walking.

It was on his exiting the establishment that he spied Lady Morpeth leaving Doctor Fuchs' residence and making her way through the streets back toward the seafront terraces. Sidney picked up his pace, intent on catching her, and was within her hearing in a few moments should he call out to her. He promptly did exactly that.

Charlotte paused at hearing her name being called out from somewhere behind in the direction she had come from. She turned around and saw that Sidney Parker was making his way along the street towards her. Charlotte considered for a very brief moment turning around and continuing on her way without stopped to speak to him. His poor moods of late were all too likely to ruin her good mood.

But that would have been rude. Instead, she waited and resigned herself to what was certain to be yet another tense interaction with the man, if her latest encounters with him were anything to judge by.

Charlotte forced a small smile as Sidney came to a stop in front of her. "Mr Parker," she said, "you must be feeling better if you are walking around. I'm surprised. In my experience, people with damaged ribs are usually confined to their beds a good bit longer."

"Ah, yes, Lady Morpeth. My wife had been keeping me supplied with a blend of tea that seems to reduce the pain."

Charlotte's smile became more genuine then. "I am pleased to hear it. I had hoped it would help."

Sidney was surprised to hear her words. Eliza had not told him where the tea came from but he could only assume, given her prior knowledge of it, that it had come from her. He thanked her for it and agreed that it was much preferred to laudanum and almost as effective.

They were silent for a moment, Charlotte pondering how she might go about making her excuses to return home, knowing that their conversation may soon take an unfortunate turn as it was reminiscent of their early interactions. Sidney, on the other hand, was gathering his thoughts to tell her of his feelings. He spoke before she could.

"Charlotte… you cannot be ignorant of the feeling between us. You must allow me my confession and believe me when I tell you my feelings are now as they have ever been. I have never stopped loving you and losing you… the way I lost you… it is my greatest regret." He said as he took a step closer to her, reluctant to share the intimacy of his confession with any passers by who may overhear it.

Charlotte, however, stepped back as he reached out to take her hand. How could he do this? Why here…now? She did not want to hear it. "I cannot claim to be ignorant to what I do not feel, Sir. You say you love me but I cannot say your regard is returned in kind. Perhaps it was once but it is not now. And even if it were, nothing could come of it. _You know that_." She responded.

"Surely you cannot tell me you have forgotten what we shared?" He cried in disbelief but maintained enough presence of mind to pitch his voice lowly.

"I have not forgotten, Mr Parker. But I have made my peace with its loss. I have had to accept and move past the pain your choices caused us both. I spent weeks and months hoping that, somehow, we would be reunited! I could not deny for very long that you were lost to me though." She denied. "And now, when I have finally put our past behind me, allowed my heart to open itself up again, when I am happy with who I am and the life I have with the family I have found, _you dare to tell me that you still love me_?"

Sidney reached out to her again as she spoke and succeeded this time in grasping her arm only to have it pulled from his grip as she continued speaking. "You have no right to say such things to me and I do not want to hear them! I suggest, Mr Parker, that you go home to your own wife and make peace with her. She clearly loves you and there must have been something you liked about her. Were there not, I cannot imagine that even your brother's troubles could convince you to marry a woman you truly did not like! Try to recapture that, Sidney, you will be happier if you do."

She let out a sigh with the last of her words and reached out to take his hand in hers, feeling her heart break for his unhappiness those past years. "I do not know what might have been, only what has been and what our lives are now because of the choices we make. I have found happiness with Lord Morpeth and I only wish you could find the strength within yourself to want the same. We cannot change the past but we can make the most of what we have today and I hope we will be able to part as friends this time."

Sidney had been shocked into silence at her outburst and the emotions that made themselves known in her expression as they shifted from distress to sadness to anger and then to understanding. Surely she could not have moved on so completely when he had spent that same time mired in his own regrets and misery? Did she truly feel nothing for him?

When he voiced this to her she only sighed and shook her head and told him that _of course she hadn't, that there would always be a place in her heart for him, but that she had had to find new strength to move past that. Everything had changed when he returned that day and told her he was to marry someone else and they would never again have what had been lost to them with those words._

She gave his hand an empathetic squeeze and a sad, understanding smile before she took her leave and continued home.


	37. Chapter 37

Charlotte did not tell George her news that day. Not because she had made any active decision against doing so; it was merely the result of being rather overwhelmed by her encounter with Sidney Parker on her way home and her thoughts being all but consumed by it.

She had arrived home in such a state of tempered distress that her husband had been certain she must have been waylaid by pickpockets or gypsies on her walk. It was only when she had calmed herself enough to recount the incident to him that he allowed himself to also be calmed as she assured him that she had suffered nothing worse than an unpleasant and emotionally difficult conversation.

Had they not already resolved to enjoy the afternoon and evening privately between themselves, George would have been quite set on convincing her that they should cancel any plans they may have had to do exactly that. As it was, Charlotte would not have fought him on the matter and was quite grateful that they had nothing more interesting to do than spend that night than be in each other's company doing whatever pleased them. And it pleased Charlotte to express her love for him in a most intimate fashion.

What remained of their afternoon was spend lazing on the lawn together sharing a book and their evening meal was taken by candlelight on the garden terrace. They did not remain out of doors or even in the drawing room or library for very much longer after that, eschewing those domains for the privacy of their bedchamber. It was there, should one be determined to know the full extent of the delight they took in each other's company, that they could be found in the congress of lovers.

Their night was spent peacefully. The same could not be said for Sidney Parker. While Eliza may have slept well-enough if not for her husband's unquenchable restlessness, he found his mind plagued by his every regrettable action and fantasies that he wished might intrude upon reality. Sidney's thoughts were consumed by the things that had been said between himself and the woman he loved.

He could not reconcile his presence of feeling with the absence of hers. It was no matter that she was anything but unfeeling; Sidney could not comprehend that Charlotte could have left behind what they shared with such ease. He unconsciously denied that the healing of her heart could have been a very long and difficult journey. His heart and head would not allow him to acknowledge that he had been the cause of her pain and his.

As the sun rose in the east and began to travel its path across the sky, Sidney Parker exhaustedly stumbled from his bed yet clothed in the previous day's garments even while, in another part of the town, Charlotte and George slowly eased into a state of wakefulness by the growing light and the sound of birdsong.

By mid-morning the crowds were venturing into the forest for the activities that had been planned for the day. Each party had brought with them a dish to contribute a picnic luncheon and fishing supplies had been provided by fisherman who the sea along their little stretch of coastline so that dinner might be cooked on a large open fire in the evening and formed from the spoils of the endeavours of those who wished to raid the river.

All but the youngest of the children, upon arriving to the large clearing where the picnic and fire were being set up, dashed away in one direction or another in search of forest creatures and fun and games away from the sight and hearing of their parents.

The Parker children had brought a set of iron bowls with them and had ventured off to hunt for a grassy patch within the trees to play their games while the adults settled on blankets and cushions and at little tables and chairs for more sedate pursuits. Many of the men tried their hands at fishing throughout the day with some little success and a great many lost chances.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Charlotte could be seen speaking animatedly with the Ladies and her friends while their menfolk, those that were present at least, were off by the river. Mary and Eliza, whose husbands had gone to observe the fishing, made their way to the merry party and arrived to catch the tail end of Charlotte asking her mother-in-law how one might go about informing one's husband of their impending fatherhood.

The two women had smiled cheerfully at overhearing this, if for very different reasons, and were quick to offer their congratulations to the Viscountess who thanked them and invited them to sit and join the larger group. Those women amongst them who had already experienced the delights of parenthood shared some very beautiful and also some quite shocking tales of their own husbands' reactions to that very news.

Lady Howard made sure to make Charlotte aware that, as far as her son was concerned, she would have to be very clear with her words when she did tell him. Though George had been a clever child and proved to be an equally intelligent and sensible adult, he could also be exasperatingly obtuse about the fairer sex and would not, in this case, understand her meaning if she tried to be subtle about it.

While Charlotte's cheeks burned with mortification at such a topic being discussed quite so openly, she had not expected to hear of things in such a level of detail as was shared when she had asked her mother-in-law for advice, Eliza sat in uncomfortable silence.

The other women had shared tales that, though they may have occasionally sounded ridiculous, spoke of a great deal of mutual happiness in their marriages. Eliza was not sure that she could claim the same for hers; though she knew Sidney loved their little Thomas very much and would, if only he could, move the very earth itself to keep him safe and happy, their marriage had not been an easy one and her pregnancy had only added another source of contention to her relationship with her husband. She had known, even then, that she was not the mother he had wanted for his children.

Though if anyone picked up on her silence or her sadness, they did not comment on it. Eliza was grateful for that. And grateful that no one had pressed her to share her own story; she could not have spoken on it happily. It was fortunate, too, that the gentlemen chose to return from the banks of the river then, bringing with them two large carp and a roach strung on string which were delivered to the servants from the local inns who had volunteered to prepare the fish for cooking.

The gentlemen collected a few of the picnic baskets as they walked across the large clearing with the intent of breaking for refreshment in the cool shade of the treeline where the ladies had deposited themselves. Little Thomas, who had spent the morning toddling after his father and exclaiming over all the pretty fish and squealing at their sliminess, stumbled rather more hastily towards them as he spied his mother resting amongst a pile of cushions and threw himself into her arms as he babbled excitedly about his adventures.

Lunch was an uncomfortable affair for some. Sidney studiously avoided looking at Charlotte and her husband while Eliza could on occasion be seen shifting her gaze between them and frowning at the tension that had suddenly appeared between them. George was largely ignorant to anything but his own concern for his wife being pushed into company with the unpleasant cad and confusion at the Ladies' hostility towards the pair. Charlotte was admittedly a little unsettled following their recent conversation but her attention was claimed by managing the Viscount's vengeful looks toward the man.

Esther and Lord Babington were sat near with Mr Crowe, Charity and Georgiana, the latter of whom had moved away from Charlotte to join them in a bid the circumvent the Ladies' attempts to govern her. The former of those three individuals was as inebriated as he ever was and poor Charity found herself pulled between the two in their attempts to claim her attention. To say that the Babingtons found the situation amusing was on par with claiming that the sun was a little bright or that rain was only a little wet.

It was a relief to all when luncheon had passed and the two parties could politely part company with each other for a few hours at least. Little Thomas had been permitted to go and play with his older cousins at the tree line while his parents remained in the shade with Eliza fussing over Sidney after what had been, to her mind, a morning of exerting activity. Georgiana pulled Charlotte away for a walk; the Ladies continued to conspire against her while George, Babington and Crowe discussed politics as Esther, Charity and Mary played a game of cards. Though Lady Howard also sent frequent secretive glances and smiles at her son only to brush him off when her questioned her about it.

It was while this was happening that the Parker children had wondered further into the forest to help little Thomas search for bugs only come rushing back a few hours later screaming that they had lost him.

Eliza and Sidney froze at hearing this before Eliza began to panic about her baby boy being lost and alone and confused while her husband tried futilely to calm her. Though he was worried too, he knew that panicking the way she was could not be very helpful. Sidney took his wife by the shoulders and shook her firmly, frustratedly glaring at her as he told her she was being insensible and that they needed to find him instead of sitting around turning into a teary mess.

Mary gently pried Sidney away from his wife, suggesting they break into groups to find him just as Charlotte and Georgiana rejoined the group from their walk and agreed that this seemed a sensible suggestion.

It was determined that the Babingtons and Lady Denham would remain in the clearing in case the little boy found his way back and because Esther was in no condition to go for a long traipse through wooded footpaths. Eliza and Sidney went together in the direction that they had last seen their son with his cousins while Tom and Mary went with Mr Crowe and Charity to search by the river where he might have been distracted with wanting to see more fish. The Ladies, Diana and Arthur and George and Charlotte with Georgiana also ventured into different parts of the forest.

They had been walking and calling out the child's name when Georgiana heard the little boy crying for help. The small group rushed forward as they followed his voice to a little stretch of the river than ran deeper into the forest and was bordered on both sides by steep, sloping banks.

Thomas appeared to have fallen part way down one of the slopes, if the muddy, tatters of his clothes and his being trapped on a small rocky ledge a few meters below them were any indication. Charlotte called down to the little boy and asking him if he was hurt.

Thomas looked up at the lady who was talking to him as tears tracked down his face leaving clean trails in the grime that had stuck there during his fall. "I want mummy. It hurts. Where's mummy?" he cried, his little mind unable to understand why his parents weren't there to make it better. They were always there to make it better when he was hurting or scared.

Charlotte settled on her knees and leant a little way over the edge of the bank and tried to reassure the little boy that everything was going to be alright but he would hear none of it. She sighed and turned to George. "Maybe you should go back and tell Lord Babington that we've found him. Perhaps he can find someone to help? We need a way to get him up from there before he falls again and injured himself more seriously." She said.

George seemed reluctant to leave her there but, with some convincing and the assurance that she would be alone as Georgiana would stay with here, he agreed to go back and get more help. George made his way back to the clearing as quickly as he could and rushed to get Lord Babington to help him find further assistance in town.

In a different part of the forest, where Mary, Tom, Charity and Mr Crowe had begun searching after no sign of little Thomas by the river where the fishing was happening, the group had split. Tom had become distracted by some interesting thing or another and Charity and Mr Crowe had continued onward, not realising that Mary was not following them after her attention had been switched to refocusing her husband's.

It was some minutes until Charity realised that they were alone and had travelled far enough that the two pairs would easily relocate each other. "Mr Crowe! Stop!" she called out as she chased after the man who was trudging along the path ahead of her.

Charity almost crashed into him as he stopped and turned suddenly. She realised, a little belatedly as he grinned down at her, that perhaps she was a little too close to him. Granted there was no one else around to see them and comment on the impropriety of it. She stepped backwards as continued to leer at her only to find her back pressed against a tree as he stepped forwards with every backward movement she made. She was cornered.

Mr Crowe began to laugh as she stared at him incredulously. "What are you laughing at!" she demanded as he stepped back from her.

"Miss Entworth, had you seen your own expression you would understand my amusement." He told her as she moved away from the tree and darted a few steps away from him. "Perhaps you would like to share why you were screaming for me to stop?"

Charity looked at him warily, unsure whether to trust that he would not impose himself on her. Mr Crowe sighed. "Stop looking at me as though you think I am going to eat you, girl. I may be a rogue and a little too fond of my drink but I hardly make it a habit of going around ruining good girls like you. It would hardly turn out in my favour would it?"

There was silence for a moment longer before Charity heaved a sigh and gathered her composure around her once more. "We seem to have found ourselves separated from Mr and Mrs Parker. It might be wiser to return than continue further lest we find ourselves equally lost as young Thomas." She suggested.

Mr Crowe furrowed his brows and looked around him as if just realising that Tom and Mary were indeed nowhere to be seen. He turned back around to Mis Entworth and gesturing for her to lead the way, nodding in agreement. But as Charity turned to walk back the way they had come, a few rocks slid under her foot and she stumbled, turning her ankle and landing harshly on ground that was damp from overnight showers with a cry of pain.

The two lords had had the good fortune to run into some sailors as they returned to town in search of help. The sailors, who proved and cheerful pair were all too willing to volunteer their services and, upon learning the nature of the little boy's plight, suggested they return to their vessel to fetch some ropes that might be used to pull the little boy back up the bank. The group of two became a group of four and in short time they were making their way back to the clearing.

Sidney and Eliza had had no luck in finding their son amongst the trees where they had last seen him and had resolved to return to where the Babingtons and Lady Denham waited in the hopes that he had found his own way back. They were somewhat surprised when they returned to find Lord Babington absent. Their confusion was quickly resolved, however, when he reappeared with Lord Morpeth and some other men carrying a thick length of rope.

Sidney, who had sat down on the ground and helped himself to a glass of cool lemonade as he caught his breathe and grimaced at the pain in his ribs from the time spent calling out for Thomas, caught Lord Babington's attention and asked after the sailors with the rope.

It was the Viscount who answered his question. "We found your son, Mr Parker. But he seems to have slipped down a rather steep riverbank and isn't able to get back up to the path." George explained. "My wife and Miss Lambe remained with him while Babington and I went to see about getting more help from town."

Eliza and Sidney both heaved great sighs of relief at hearing their son had been found but the knowledge did little to settle Eliza's worry. It was one thing to have found him but another entirely for him to be unharmed. "Oh! Oh, thank goodness! Where is he? Was he hurt? You must take us to him immediately."

"I do not think he has suffered any serious injury, Ma'am. The boy seemed to have perhaps a few bruises and scratches but he appeared more afraid than in pain." George tried to reassure the worried woman though his words seemed to have little effect on her. "We are going back that way now, if you would follow us?"

She nodded frantically and turned to her husband who had allowed the tenseness to fade from his bearing as he processed that their son was safe. The ache in his chest had eased a little and the lemonade quenched his thirst so he began to pull himself back up again. Eliza frowned once more at the sight. "Sidney, now that we know Thomas will be alright, perhaps you should stay here while we fetch him and bring him back. Doctor Fuchs did instruct you to rest. Would not this afternoon's excitement have served the opposite purpose?"

Sidney scowled at the suggestion and ignored it. "He is my son too Eliza. I am not going to just sit here and do nothing." He grunted as he rose to his feet and grit his teeth against a sharp twinge set off by the movement.

"But you're clearly in pain, Si-"

"No, Eliza, we are both going." She looked at him with concern but relented. His decision was made and he would not be swayed from it. Eliza's shoulders sagged as she nodded and slipped her arm into his, to offer what support and steadiness she could as they walked back into the forest once more.

The bank little Thomas has slipped down was perhaps a ten-minute walk from the clearing and they found it again in good time. They arrived to find Charlotte and Georgiana crouched at the edge of the bank speaking calmly to the little boy, reassuring him that help was coming and that he would be back with his parents shortly. Thomas was still crying, overwhelmed by fear and confusion, as any young child would be in the situation he had found himself in, but this stopped when he saw that his mother and father had come to stand on the bank behind the two women.

"Thomas! Thomas, it is alright! We're here. Everything is going to be alright." Eliza called down to her son as one of the sailors began to carefully make his way down the slope, taking one end of the rope with him.

"These nice men are going to bring you back up to us. Just do what they say and try not be afraid." Sidney added.

Thomas looked up at his father and then to the man who was coming towards him. "Big boy? Big boy like papa?"

"Yes Thomas! A big brave boy like papa!" Eliza said to him, smiling at how much her son idolised his father.

Charlotte had stood and moved out of the way as the group arrived and the sailors worked to get the little boy away from the river and it transpired that only a very little effort needed expending to reunite the child with his parents once he had been found. In a matter of moments, he was wrapped in his mother's arms as she cried over him with his father ruffling his hair and promising him he was safe now.

When Eliza finally found the strength to let him go she looked up from where she was knelt on the ground and turned to face the group who had found him. "Thank you, Lord Morpeth, Lady Morpeth, for helping us find him. You can't imagine how worried we were." She said as she stood. She paused for just a moment and then pulled the pair of them into a brief hug as she repeated her thanks tearfully.

George did not quite know what to make of this intrusion upon his person while Charlotte only reached out to grip her hands and assure Eliza that they would not have sat idly by while a child was lost and that a walk through the woods presented only a very little disruption to their day.

Eliza smiled weakly at the younger woman. Perhaps Charlotte Heywood was not so terrible. She would never like the Viscountess but how could she continue to hate someone who had helped to rescue the one person in the world that she loved more than any other?

The group made their way back to the clearing once more, encountering Tom and Mary on their way. They expressed their delight at learning their nephew was safe and sound and offered to go in search of the other groups who were likely still searching.

One of those groups included Arthur and Diana Parker who had been rambling through the trees without any real direction and in a most disorganised fashion. It was the brother and sister who stumbled upon a rather unsettling scene between Mr Crowe and Miss Entworth. To think the pair had found themselves alone. But it was unthinkable. _Surely_, they thought, _the girl had more sense than to be caught in such a situation with a man of Mr Crowe's calibre?_

Miss Entworth's dress had suffered a very unfortunate tear in a most upsetting region of the skirts. And Mr Crowe, who not entirely insensible to the damage and the problems that might arise from it, had shed his coat and draped it over her shoulders to cover the offending bit of fabric. It was this scene, with Mr Crowe stood in his breeches and shirtsleeves and Miss Entworth quite mussed and distressed and wearing his garment, that Arthur and Diana witnessed.

"Well Miss Entworth, this is most improper. Whatever has happened to you? Oh, Arthur, what are we to do. Miss Entworth must need our assistance. But what are we to say to people?" Diana prattled on as Charity stared at the pair in horror as the full weight of how the situation must look dawned on her.

"Well there is nothing to be done for it, sister, we must escort them back and seek our brothers' advice on the matter. Tom and Sidney will know what is best done with this." Arthur assured his sister.

"No!" Charity burst out and the two looked at her in shock. "That is to say… I do not think anything need be said at all."

"But my dear, your dress. It is quite destroyed. It cannot be hidden you know." Diana said. Miss Entworth had to be made to see reason.

"No. No, I suppose it cannot be hidden. But that is not to say it must be seen. I'm sure I can slip away to change my dress and no one will be any the wiser." She begged.

"But child, these things must be managed properly." Arthur insisted as he began to herd the girl back towards the gathered crowds. Diana followed along behind them continuing to mumble about the terrible shock of it all.

Charity turned back to look at Mr Crowe even as Arthur continued to guide her way. Though she said nothing aloud, she begged him with her eyes and desperate expression to do something, _anything_. But it was no use. Mr Crowe stood there, pale and frozen like a deer in the light of a carriage lamp.

This could not end well.


	38. Chapter 38

Arthur and Diana led the way back the clearing, towing Charity along behind them with Mr Crowe slowly coming back to his senses and trying desperately to think up a way out of the situation they had found themselves in.

Charity was still attempting to persuade the siblings that there was no need to tell anyone what they had seen; that nothing had happened and it could go away quietly without causing problems. But Diana and Arthur would hear none of her protestations or pleas for silence.

Charity found herself being pulled with remarkable indiscretion in the direction of the remaining Parker siblings. Mr Crowe trailed morosely behind them as the brother and sister descended on their brothers and relinquished the duty of upholding the lady's honour upon them with the disjointed imparting of facts and presumptions. Arthur and Diana wandered away after divulging the scene they had stumbled across, pleased to see that they had fulfilled their perceived duty and happily ignorant to the distress that they had caused the young woman who could only be pitied for the recent turn of events.

Tom and Sidney, who barely considered their own distress settled after the events of the afternoon, simply stared after their brother and sister as they departed. However, their gazes swiftly moved to consider the pair left before them. Miss Entworth really did look a sight with her dress torn and muddied as it was and, wearing the coat of a gentleman who was neither father nor brother to her, surely did not give one leave to think that something untoward had not happened. Mr Crowe maintained his typical air of disinterest that would fool anyone who did not know him well.

Mr Crowe was fortunate that Sidney and Charles, who had appeared beside them within moments of Arthur and Diana's departure, knew him very well. It was the work of but a moments observation for them to determine his mind was not nearly so settled as it appeared. Their knowledge of him would work in their favour, he acknowledged.

Tom, however, was an unknown quantity. There was no great depth to his relationship with the man or woman and, though he was a sight more sensible, he shared Arthur and Diana's excitability and penchant for involving himself in affairs that were not his own. Mr Crowe did not know what Tom Parker's reaction to the situation would be and passed over appealing to him in favour of his friends.

Sidney and Charles knew their friend quite well enough to be very surprised at not only his having been caught in such a position but also at his having found himself in that position at all. He was a reprobate who took great delight in chasing willing skirts and overindulging in drink but he was not entirely unprincipled. Or rather, he was not foolish. They knew their friend was not inclined to go after women whose honour and reputation would be hurt by his advances if only for being desirous of avoiding the marriage state that would surely result from such a pursuit.

But what was to be done? Miss Entworth was a well-liked young woman with a previously untarnished reputation which, given the conspicuousness of her present appearance and the concerning way in which they had reappeared, would suffer no small amount of damage if something was not done quickly to mediate the unpleasantness of it all. Indeed, the other parties present were already taking notice of her appearance and the identity of the man she stood with and drawing their own ruinous conclusions which would no doubt be spread rapidly about the town.

It did not take long to reach the conclusion that the most immediate course of action would be to remove them both from the sights of those who would judge them most harshly. Ignoring Tom's blustering about what should be done, Charles and Esther offered to bring them to Sanditon House where a more private discussion could be had on what was best done to reduce the possible damage that would result from Diana and Arthur's lack of foresight and neglectful forgetfulness of the effects of these situations.

Charlotte and Georgiana had been seated but a few yards from the group and thus recognised the tightly drawn tension and reserve that showed in her bearing for what it was: fear. Georgiana who knew her friend best of all those present to witness the event took her leave of Charlotte and insisted on departing with the Babingtons to lend her friend support and strength. It was not a wholly selfless decision; Georgiana recognised the opportunity to further evade the Ladies who seemed intent on controlling her.

Charlotte bid her two friends goodbye and, having also extracted a promise from them to write her a note if there was anything she and George to do to help, went in search of her husband, hoping that they might also take their leave. The exertion of the day had left her feeling quite fatigued and she was in want of a rejuvenating rest away from any further happenings that might arise.

George, taking note of her growing pallor was quick to agree and they were also gone from the forest shortly after taking their own leave of the Ladies and remaining Parkers. Upon their return home, the couple retired to the drawing room and settled themselves on the large chaise that overlooked the rear garden. They had each been sat comfortably for some minutes, the room filled with only the sounds of birdsong from beyond the windows and the rustle of turning book pages within, when Charlotte broke the silence.

"I thought that, perhaps, tomorrow we could avoid the main Regatta activities, George. There's a place here that I want you to see and it would be lovely to have the day to ourselves without any distraction or diversion." She said as she closed her booked with a finger holding her place.

George looked up from where he lounged beside her, her feet nestled in his lap and covered by his hands and own book. "Well, Lady Morpeth, if a day of solitude would please you, a day of solitude we shall have!" he agreed with a devilish flair as he pulled his wife to himself so that she was seated in his lap. "But I do agree, my love, I wonder if the excitement of the past few days has not all settled upon you at once? You have seemed rather more weary and inclined to tire than is normal for you." He continued with some concern.

George worried at his wife's uncharacteristic reserve. A day spent idly doing as she pleased with naught to worry her would serve her spirits well. He hoped that it might go a ways to resolving the fatigue that showed in her countenance and bolster her energy to its usual plentitude.

Charlotte smiled at her husband as she wrapped her arms about his neck and leant into him. "It would please me very much indeed." she breathed as she pressed her forehead against his and allowed her hands to drift a little lower and a secretive tilt to slip into her smile and light her gaze. "It is quite a secluded little place but I think we shall not be short of amusements, my Lord Morpeth."

George's eyes darkened at his wife's words and the double entendre contained within them. He lifted one of Charlotte's hands in his and pressed a kiss to it. "I think, wife, that we are not short of amusements even as we speak!" he declared, sweeping her further into his embrace and turning so that her back pressed into the cushioned seat of the chaise and he was positioned between her thighs.

Charlotte laughed as she found herself bathed in playfully passionate kisses and pulled him closer to her and cupping his face so that her lips might met his. It should suffice to say that they dined remarkably late that evening and that one aught commiserate with the maid responsible for the tidying of the drawing room the next morning. As it was, the chaise would need new fabrics.

Charlotte and George found themselves walking leisurely through the town the following morning after a very hearty breakfast with a basket of food for their luncheon. Charlotte navigated the streets of Sanditon with ease and guided their path toward the forest that bordered the opposite edges of town than did the sea. It was not long before the Viscount and Viscountess were following one of the many forest paths and, in no time at all, had arrived at the very place Charlotte wished her husband to see.

They were at that very moment traipsing through the patchy bluebell groves hidden amongst the trees searching for a place to settle themselves for the day. Charlotte's arm was linked with his, her one hand resting in the crook of George's elbow while the other carried a wicker basket containing crockery and cutlery and napkins as well as their books and a card deck. George was similarly carrying a basket loaded with foodstuff and a large, thick blanket tucked under the arm that was not occupied by his wife.

At last Charlotte observed a break in the trees large enough keep them and their belongings comfortably and directed her husband's attention to it. They diverged from the forest path and it was the work of but a moment to reach the little glade and set their burdens upon the ground. Charlotte took a moment to study their surroundings.

The glade itself was a combination of the earthy green and brown hues of the trees and brush brought alive by the vibrant splashes of blue and purple lent the space by the abundant bluebell flowers. The rushing splashes that resonated lightly in the air spoke of a nearby stream and the breeze was sweetened by the scents of nature. To one side of the glade could be seen a fallen tree, its roots, stump and trunk covered with a layer of soft moss and a nearby arrangement of large rocks had been similarly reclaimed by the forest.

The snap of fabric disturbed Charlotte from her attention to their environment as George shook out the blanket to lay it upon the grass and, having done so, was following by the muted thump of him dropping himself to the ground. Charlotte looked at him and stifled a giggle at the sight of him reclined on the cotton tartan, an arm draped over his face as he complained against the heat of the day and the sweat that had gathered during their walk.

"If you are feeling warm, my lord, I might suggest a dip in the stream." She said as she and her shadow stood over him. She lost the battle with her humour when he moved his arm, cracked open one eye and squinted up at her with a grunt.

"How delightful to see your wit in sporting form, my love." he drawled as he rolled to his side and propped himself up by an arm. George regarded his wife as she stood laughing at him and resolved to raise to her awareness the error she made in abusing him so.

George launched himself to his feet and moved toward her with such a suddenness that Charlotte jumped and gasped with the movement, having been taken quite by surprise at his unexpected show of energy and, as he lunged toward her in a predatory display, did not quite manage to successfully remove herself from his path.

She found herself wrapped in his arms as he pressed relentless wriggling fingers into her sides, setting loose streams of gasping laughter as she repeatedly evaded his grasp only to be descended upon again not seconds after gaining her reprieve.

"Stop! Stop!" she choked out at last between gasping breaths and sobbing giggles. "I should not have laughed at you. I'm sorry!" And then she could breath again and sagged in his arms as she pulled air into aching and deprived lungs.

"I'm much obliged to your change of heart, my love. It would be intolerable to have to keep punishing you in such a way!" George teased his wife. He was well enough able to give back what was received and had proven a very competent tormenter following the discovery of his wife's weakness when faced with tickling.

But he showed her mercy at last and settled them both upon the blanket, he lying with his back to the ground and her draped half across him. Charlotte panted heavily as she scowled at him. "You are a terrible person." she grumbled but without any real strength of feeling.

It was George's turn to laugh at her then, though his humour was of short duration as she shifted to reposition herself and the movement brought his attention to his arousal. With a groan at her continued restlessness, he rolled them over so that he was settled between her soft thighs and his evident stiffness pressing against her most intimate area even through the layers of their clothes.

His hands wrapped around her waist and held her there. "Unless you wish to expose yourself, my lady, might you not cease fidgeting?"

Charlotte smiled coyly at him and stroked a hand over what skin of his chest was visible after his earlier shucking of his coat and cravat and the loosening of the buttons of his shirt. "And if I do wish to expose myself, what will you do, my Lord?"

"If that were the case, it would be my duty to satisfy your desires. Would I not be a poor husband if I did not?" He said after some consideration as to her seriousness. His eyes had taken on a predatory hunger once more as his hands roved over his wife's form, brushing her shoulders and neck and slipping just beneath the ruched hem of her dress.

"Hmm, oh, yes, very poor indeed, so oblige me you must." Charlotte sighed under her husband's administrations and let her legs fall further open so far as the material of her skirts would allow that he might settle himself more fully and more comfortably between them.

George grinned down at her as he sat on his haunches and raised her skirts higher to expose her knees and the tops of her silk stockings. He slipped her shoes from feet and ran his hand up her calves, setting them free of their coverings as peeled her stockings slowly away from her skin. And then, pushing her skirts yet higher still, lay over her once more with a groan as he felt the heat of her nether regions against his own through the flap of his breeches.

Charlotte's mind had ceased to be capable of sensible thought as her husband tended her body and elicited the most wonderful flutterings within her. She draped her arms about his shoulders and pulled him down to her where her lips caught his in a kiss that was both passionate and tender and filled with the love she felt for him.

They remained like that for a few moments, exchanging kisses until Charlotte released a tremulous gasp at the sensation of his fingers stroking the lips of her sex and teasing the fluttering into ardent flames. George's fingers fed the flames and teased little sighs and gasps from her lips, raising an ever growing exhilaration that spiralled higher than she might have believed possible. It was with a strangled cry of his name that the sensation reached a shattering crescendo and stars crossed her vision as she clutched his shoulders for fear of flying away with them.

Charlotte panted as she came down from her high and George slipped his fingers from her core and licked them clean all while staring into her eyes until she reached down and grasped the fastenings of his breeches, loosening them and setting free his rigid erection. She stroked his length lightly with trembling fingers and his breath hitched at her attentions before laying his hand over hers and guiding himself to her entrance.

He slid in easily, the gathered wetness from her earlier completion and sensitive muscles that still lightly seized gripping at him as he pushed further into her. George set an alacritous pace, pushing in and pulling out of his wife's core with relentless strength and energy and stirring within them both the spiralling raptures of sexual excitement once more.

Charlotte's legs were wrapped about her husband's waist and clenching tight against him with each stroke of his erection within her. The sensitive muscles of her core jolting with every pass of its ridged and veiny surface over them as she fought meet his thrusts in kind. When climax occurred, it was, as it always was, in tandem and George's stiff member was entrapped in the contracting spasms of her completion as his invasion of her sex lost rhythm and his seed shot inside her, splashing against the walls clutching tightly around him.

George collapsed upon his wife, sucking in new air even while his softening length remained lodged inside her until it slipped flaccidly out, allowing their combined pleasures to drip from her weeping core. Charlotte lay panting beneath him, her fingers tangled in his hair until she could bear his weight no longer and pushed against his shoulder to roll them to their sides.

"I visited Doctor Fuchs a few days ago," she said as she caught her breath, "I know you've been worried about me recently and I will admit to having become a little concerned over the recent changes in my appetite and activity." Charlotte twisted from her position in his arms, shifting to see his face more clearly.

George startled at her words. He had been worried for her but he had not known he should have been so concerned as to encourage her to see a physician. He pulled his wife closer to him. "What did the doctor conclude. Something only very trifling I hope?" he asked anxiously. He did not know what he would do if her health was very seriously affected. He could not fathom her being taken from him so soon when they should have the rest of their lives together; lives that should both span any number of years.

"It is not trifling- no, let me finish speaking George!" she pressed a hand to his chest in exasperation and firmly pushed him back down when he went rise in a panic. "It is not trifling but it is also not something that will not resolve itself in due course so you needn't worry overmuch." she continued.

"Needn't worry? How can I not worry when you tell me there is something affecting your wellbeing and that it is not trifling!" He could not believe that she wished such a thing of him. It was only natural for a man to worry when the woman he loved was discomposed and in ill health!

Charlotte looked at him with fond exasperation and spoke with a patience one might draw upon when explaining complex concepts to curious children. "I am assured that it is a perfectly natural thing. Indeed, it is a condition any woman might expect to occur during her life." Charlotte smiled happily down at him even as his expression spoke of little else than confusion and concern. "I shall be quite well again in the spring and by then we will have welcomed a new addition to our family!" She was met with silence at her confession, but, as she looked down at him, she realised it was due to neither shock nor happiness.

No. Her husband only seemed perplexed and this was proven when he spoke his next words with an uncomprehending frown. "What has the child your brother expects to do with your health?"

Charlotte could only stare at him. His mother had warned her he could be ignorant about things he had no cause to understand but surely he could not be so wholly unaware of the meaning in her words?

"Heavens, George! Surely it cannot be possible to be so obtuse?" She cried in disbelief. "I am not speaking of my niece or nephew. Come spring we will be welcoming our own child into the world!" she really did have to make it explicitly clear to him.

The initial shock that had initially been anticipated finally made itself known. "You... We... That is to say... our child?" He parroted back at her. Charlotte fought not to roll her eyes as his verbal incoherence reflected his attempt to process what he had heard. She waited for the news to settle and knew the very moment her fully understood the revelation; for it was betrayed by an all-consuming look of happiness. "You mean to say that you are with child? So soon?" He said as his hand drifted to brush across her yet flat belly.

Charlotte laughed and threw herself back into his arms. "I am!" She confirmed. "We will have a son or daughter of our very own come spring!"


	39. Chapter 39

Their day was spent lazing on the grassy ground speaking of their future and all the things they wished for themselves and their children. They talked of their own childhoods and memories of all the adventures the had had with their friends and siblings; they spoke of life and love and loss and, when it occurred to him, George spoke of the day they met, it having been a year ago that day, which led them to speak of Russia.

They had eaten after their love making and, when the talking petered out, they walked among the trees and read to themselves and to each other and played games of cards with rules remade to better suit a pair than a group of four. It was nearing the that time when daylight would begin to leave them as they placed all those things that had been brought with them back into the baskets which, in the absence of food, were now sufficiently spacious to hold the blanket within and make the carrying of it a lesser burden for George as they made their way back to Sanditon.

Their time that evening would be engaged at a dinner party held by Tom and Mary and though Charlotte had considered, earlier in the day, crying off, she had subsequently decided against it. The departure from rigorous activity had been exactly what she needed and now she felt quite equal to the prospect of rejoining it.

They arrived home to discover that notes from Mary and Esther had been delivered in their absence. The note from Esther divulged the decision that, in order to affect some level of control over the damage caused to Miss Entworth's reputation following the events of the previous day, that young lady and Mr Crowe must be seen as being in the midst of courtship and the local society made to believe it was a connection of some duration. It was along this vein that Esther sought Charlotte's aid in convincing others thus.

Those who knew the truth, that there was no courtship, would need to subtly but publicly acknowledge prior knowledge of the false relationship or at the very least appear unsurprised by the news of it at that evenings dinner party. Charlotte, Esther and Mary, as suitably sensible and respectable matronly chaperones would be tasked with accompanying the pair over the next few weeks and revealing their like purpose in being seen in company with them previously. Mary's note served to inform them similarly.

Charlotte wondered at Eliza's not being included in the charade but, as she read what remained of Mary's missive, it was revealed that the other Mrs Parker's widely known dislike of Mr Crowe and unfamiliarity with the lady would lead people to assume it unlikely she would serve as chaperone for them. She would, however, have all the appearance of knowing of it despite confessing very little personal involvement in it.

Naturally, all those whom were fully informed were present at Trafalgar House that evening. In addition to the Parkers, Babingtons, Howards, Lady Denham, Mr Crowe and Miss Entworth, were the town's magistrate, a Mr Morton, and his wife, the reverend, Mr Hankins, a local Squire and few of the more successful local merchants. The wives of these merchants, to their benefit, were known to be officious gossips and it could be certain that every occurrence of the evening would be fodder for the conversations of all the other gossips come calling hours the next day if not sooner.

Tom and Mary's guests, those that were already present, were gathered in the drawing room when George and Charlotte arrived. They were greeted by Tom with his usual cheer and with more refinement by Mary but were granted only a very short while to engage pleasantries with the other couples before their attention was claimed by Georgiana who had approached with an overset Charity though her disquiet was not easily discerned. Georgiana spared no time in sharing the discussion that had been had the previous afternoon in more detail. Had the Ladies had the fortune to witness it, they would have been gratified at the exercising of tact and discretion shown then by the young woman.

Charlotte, who had determined very soon after making her acquaintance that she quite liked the younger girl, being a delightful mixture of good sense and amiability and liveliness, was pleased to hear that some conclusion had been made and action well under way. She only hoped it would be enough to prevent anything truly salacious being bandied about and negating all their efforts to the contrary.

Mr Crowe made his entrance just as Georgiana finished relating the particulars of the situation and, with a casual sort of resolve, was induced to join them. Charity quite visible became more unsettled at his approach and familiar manner of greeting her and her participation in their discussion, which could already be considered reserved, was quite abandoned in favour of a terse silence. Though it must be said that Mr Crowe was no more forthcoming with conversation than she was. He seemed to content himself with standing about sullenly, having achieved his object of seeking out the woman he would soon be publicly viewed as attached to as he had been advised to do by Parker and Babington and following only the most cursory of greetings to the other ladies.

"I cannot imagine either of you think yourselves very pleased with this business you have found yourselves in," Charlotte, who was herself hardly the very spirit of decorum, murmured lowly to the deject pair. One did not have to be very well informed on what was expected behaviour on the part of courting couples to know that the lack of solicitous consideration being displayed by Mr Crowe and Miss Entworth was not counted among them. "But you must at least convey the appearance of being pleased with one another when there are others who would observe you closely." She advised and then presented a lighter alternative for discussion before them.

George, who had been waylaid by the magistrate's wife; she had professed to recognise him and asked if he was not one of the Howards of Carlisle and when it was confirmed that he was, revealed she had grown up in Terrington which was but three miles from Castle Howard and descended into raptures on the delights of the area; had eventually found some success in excusing himself as the object of her attention and resolutely strode in his wife's direction.

He had caught the end of Charlotte's warning and could only agree. For a couple should, to outside spectators, be viewed as romantically attached, they looked to be in great need of cheering. So George resolved to aid his wife in achieving her purpose by providing some hearty humour and set to enthusing over his appreciation for fine horses and country sports. His attempts to lighten the gloomy atmosphere around the group proved reasonably successful as Mr Crowe ventured his own thoughts on the matter and even Miss Entworth could not deny the enjoyment she found in a ride across the fields or following the cliffs when an opportunity was to be had.

With a mutually agreeable vein of conversation embarked upon, George and Charlotte relinquished the task of carrying their friends' interaction into calmer waters and migrated to speak with the other people gathered in the room which was becoming a little crowded with the announcement of the final party to arrive.

They sought out Tom and Mary's company once more and were engaged in lighter interactions while the other couple maintained a watchful eye on their guests and any courting couples. Or, rather, Mary was attentively watchful even as her husband was inattentively flitting between being engaged by his wife, importuning his guests and making hearty declarations of his enjoyment, agreement or disagreement with; any opinion he had that he thought worthy of being shared was and these were plentiful if not always sensible.

They did not dally long with their host and their attention was subsequently reclaimed by Mrs Morton and that time which remained until dinner was announced was spent enduring her continued raptures over the Yorkshire country and society and asking after their mutual acquaintance with her own circle of friends from before her marriage.

Tom and Mary had chosen to observe the order of precedence set by their guests respective ranks and circumstance and so Esther, as the lady of greatest elevation, was escorted in by Tom and Mary entered the dining room last on Lord Babington's arm. Following them were George and Charlotte with Lady Denham attached to the squire and succeeded in like order by Sidney and Eliza, Mr and Mrs Morton, Mr Crowe leading in Charity, Georgiana, much to her displeasure, on the arm of the Reverend and with the remaining couples taking up the penultimate positions of the procession.

They were seated around the large table in the formal dining room of Trafalgar House thusly and Charlotte and George found their dinner partners to be excellent conversationalists. Charlotte was seated to the left of Mr Parker with Ester across from her; to George's left was sat Georgiana and across from them, Charity and Mr Crowe. The reverend Hankins, Mr Morton and a local tradesman with his wife, daughter and the young woman's betrothed formed the middle of the table while Mary, who was sat beside Lord Babington and Lady Denham formed the head of the table in company with Sidney, Eliza, the Squire and Mrs Morton.

George considered himself quite pleased with the great separation between himself and the magistrate's wife; he could not have happily tolerated the excess of pleasure she took in waxing lyrical over the hills and dales of Yorkshire and might have rapidly resolved to deny the woman any of his attention at all. No, he was far better pleased with keeping his wife's company throughout the meal of several courses and could not find the will within himself to think ill of Miss Lambe's indecorous observations of the gathered company, so astute and drily delivered were they.

Both Viscount and Viscountess were most contented with their hosts doing away with the custom of preventing married couples being seated together and, though Esther and Charles were to be pitied for being denied that same happiness, took great comfort in their mutual proximity.

The same could not be said for Sidney and Eliza Parker. Though Eliza was content enough to be partnered with her husband and Lord Babington, Sidney's broodish temperament of the morning have proven itself persistent as it stretched into the evening leaving him in little mood to make conversation; and Lord Babington's conversation was as much claimed by her sister in law and her querying after his wellbeing and family and interests as it was by herself. Eliza found herself left to silence and the company of her own thoughts and observations as often as not throughout the meal.

Sidney was, as his wife had long since taken note, disinclined to engage in the gaiety of the conversations that sprung up around him and so quite abandoned Eliza and the lady to his other side to directed the entirety of their attentions to their other partners to have what they may of some communication or other. Indeed, his mind had been less agreeably engaged for no small number of hours in consideration of the words spoken to him by Charlotte two days previously.

He had been examining that interaction and all its nuances and revelations and come to inevitable and unsettling conclusion that, when viewing her words in the same light as that which he had witnessed of her marriage with his own eyes, Charlotte could have little else than entirely honest in her confessions of hopes that had been both broken and healed and feeling that were no longer what they once were. It was disheartening, but the truth could not be denied and truth it certainly was.

To say that much food for thought had arisen from it was a most accurate determination. It seemed, to Sidney, that he had done little else but think since her return. He had thought on his love for her which ran as deep as ever it had. He had thought on how he might win back her heart when it seemed lost to him and considered a great many foolish ideas. And now he thought on her loss and her growth and the wishes she had shared with him: her wishes that he would make his peace with his own choices and find what happiness he could in the life he had.

It was this he considered now. What did he have that brought him happiness even in his self-imposed misery? His son was an obviously apparent answer to that question. Thomas had brought light to his days and the childish wonder the boy embodied could do naught but chase away dark thoughts when he was so determined to smile at every little joyful thing.

But what of Eliza? What had it been, all those years ago when he was first enamoured of her, that had him to her? They were both very different people now than they had once been and it was, perhaps a change that had not been made for the better. They had gained material things to be sure; but both had become jaded and bitter and disillusioned with the world they lived in.

When first they had met, Eliza had been a vibrant flame, teeming with energy and life and dreams for her future and, as moths were want to do, had been attracted to that light but found himself burnt when he came too close. Even now more than ten years after that painful parting he did not know what had caused her to turn her back on him, when she had given every appearance of desiring his suit, to marry another older man with whom she was only barely acquainted and young enough to be his granddaughter besides.

Sidney supposed that was a conversation that would need be had between them. But not that day; it was a discussion for another time, for another place. He was resolved for the moment to think no further on these matters then. His attention had, at last, caught the ire directed at him by his wife and sister and recognised that he must have appeared quite rude and sullen and neglectful throughout the evening as he was locked away within his own mind.

His attention was then bestowed upon his dinner partners as was expected of him, to their relief, and what remained of the evening, both the dinner itself and the subsequent separating and reuniting of the sexes, was spent in conversation and debate that was variably pleasing.


	40. Chapter 40

Sidney and Eliza took their turn at eschewing the Regatta Events the next morning. Both found themselves emotionally and mentally tightly wound and in poor mood to mingle among the crowds that were wandering amongst the stalls of a fete amidst the heat of the summer.

They had returned home the previous evening to a little boy who refused to remain asleep and was yet up and complaining after his parents' absence. It had taken them both some time to settle their son. He had clung to them when they taken him back to the nursery to settle him abed once more and had been an hour at least before he was sleeping soundly enough that they could slip from his grasp.

The couple prepared for bed in a terse silence, retreating to their separate chambers. Sidney had continued to brood and stew over the thoughts and feelings churning within but his mind, being overtired and seeking the restful escape brought by sleep, did not allow him to remain awake and avoid that unconscious state for very long.

Eliza, meanwhile, passed no small number of hours, that should have been spent sleeping, fretting over her husband's mood and sullenness and the growing distance between them as he retreated further into his own head. Sidney was a stubborn man and would only face that which he wished to deny when he was good and ready. And yet his struggle to reconcile what he wanted to believe and what was real was going to tear him apart. Eliza could see it.

Her betrayal and the heartache she knew it caused him, had been but the first of a number of events to bring him pain and she feared that this most recent development would prove too much to overcome. Because he had finally begun to heal and open his heart once more when Tom, that fool!, had caused the same problem that led her husband to restore those very walls.

She could not regret their marriage; it was what she wanted most in the world then and it had brought their son to them. It was still everything she wanted but Eliza did regret how it came to be. It should have been a far happier event than it was; it should have come from the rekindling of their love than from prudence and sense and duty as it did.

Perhaps she should not be sorry for prudence and sense and duty though? Had they not been such significant parts of Sidney's very being he would not have felt honour-bound to support his brother, he would not have offered for her and she would not have her precious Thomas. Without prudence, sense and duty, Sidney would have married Charlotte Heywood and that woman would have had all that was hers.

Where would she have been then? Would she still be pining after a man she could not have? Or might she have done as Miss Heywood did and sought what happiness she could wherever it was to be had?

Such fretting and pondering and worrying and speculating had taxed her energy and, eventually, even her restless thoughts gave way to mindless slumber. But Eliza did not sleep easily that night and her dreams, what fleeting ones she had, were not the usual happy sort.

Sidney had risen early with the light of the sun and the sound of workers beginning another day's labour. His rest had done him some, if no great amount, of good. His mind had settled itself and he was resolved to speak to his wife of their troubles.

Even in sleep the words exchanged between himself and Charlotte had continued to turn over in his head and, though it would not be an easy thing, he had determined she was right. He would always love Charlotte Heywood and he would always regret that she was now forever beyond his reach. But if his love wished him to make peace with all that had happened and with his life as it now was, that was what he would do. He would do it because it would make her happy and he would do it because his eyes had finally been opened to the suffering his resentment of the past had caused his family.

He had loved Eliza once; loved her enough that he had wanted to marry her and had known then no greater happiness than that brought on by thoughts of spending his life beside her. He had thought that she shared his love and now he needed to know what had changed that caused her turn her back on him.

She yet retained so many of those qualities he had admired in her but he would have been very foolish to still think, as he had upon their first reuniting, that she was unchanged or entirely unfeeling. He knew himself to be more bitter, more serious, more disdainful of those things he disliked or could not understand than he had ever been in his younger years. And she, though still vibrant and lively and beautiful had lost much of the wonder with which she once viewed everything she looked upon. She had become colder, more cynical and less kind to those who were not as fortunate as her. They were what the world and their lives had made of them and the fault could no more be laid upon each other's shoulders as upon their own.

Despite all that, she owned a depth of feeling and had proven herself still capable of the care and generosity she had once given so freely. Had she not poured her resources and energy into supporting Sanditon and his brother in recovering from their misfortune? Had she not loved and devoted herself to their son wholeheartedly? And, blind as he had been to it, had she not persevered in their marriage even at the cost of her own peace of mind?

He knew that the marked improvement in his ward's manner was due more to hers and Mary's influence than any actions he had taken. And he knew all too well how tiresome governing Georgiana could be. He also knew that she had been the one to secure the forgiving terms of the insurance taken out against Sanditon's building works and subsequently easing his brother's fears for his family's future. Eliza had ensured meals were always delivered to his study during those times when he became so focussed in his work that he neglected his own needs; she had heard his angry tirades without complaint when things went wrong and lent him her own strength, comforted and guided him when he could find no solutions. And for years he had refused to see these things for what they were.

Sidney had dressed himself at least as far as donning his smallclothes, shirt sleeves and breeches while he thought on this and, discarding the rest of his garments until they were truly needed, approached the door that connected his bedchamber with his wife's. He hesitated then, uncertain of what it was he truly wanted to come of the conversation he was about to initiate. But he steeled himself, knocked and entered. It needed to happen, come of it what may.

Eliza was woken by the slight creak of the connecting door as it opened and thought to herself that she would ask whichever of the servants had entered to tend to the hinges. She cracked her eyes open sleepily and was surprised to be met by the sight of her husband slipping into the room and instructing her maid, who must have already entered as she was already laying out Eliza garments for the day, to bring a tea tray and then leave them in privacy until her mistress called for her.

"Sidney?" she said as she rose to sit against her pillows.

Sidney turned to look at his wife as she blinked at him in confusion. "Good morning, Eliza." He greeted her with an unnerving cheer. It was a startling contrast to his bitter mood of late and Eliza was not sure what to make of it.

"Good morning, Sidney. Is there something you need? It's quite unlike you to invade my bedchamber so early in the morning." She observed but then saw the clock on her mantle and realised it was actually not so early and that she had been abed uncommonly late; something her husband was quick to raise to her awareness as he settled himself in one of the chairs arranged in a cluster at the foot of her bed.

"Come and sit with me, Eliza. We have much to speak on, you and I."

The small smile that had emerged on her face at his presence dropped as she realised his purpose was more serious than merely wishing to be with her as she liked to hope. Eliza sighed as she slipped from the bed and wrapped the silk robe that was draped over the chair at her dressing table about her. "Yes, I suppose we do." She murmured as she sat in another of the chairs, neither directly across from him nor fully beside him.

"It might be best, perhaps, that we start at the very beginning... I spent a long time wondering why you did it. I loved you and I thought you loved me. When you stopped meeting me I wondered if I had made some terrible mistake that drove you away and then when I learned _from the papers_ that you had accepted someone else I thought maybe I just wasn't rich enough for you. I need to know Eliza. You tore my heart out when you turned your back on us without even a word of explanation and I could only think I must have been wrong; that you didn't love me at all. _Look at me and tell me why!_" his voice dropped to a broken whisper by the time he asked the question that had gone unanswered for more than ten years.

Eliza, who had been staring at her hands, alternating between being clasped tightly in her lap and wresting the fabric of her nightgown between her fingers, and sobbing silently as he spoke, suddenly snapped her eyes up to meet his is disbelief.

"You thought I didn't love you?" she whispered.

"What was I supposed to think? You refused my proposal. You stopped speaking to me, stopped allowing yourself to be seen in company with me without being surrounded by your friends or family. I saw the way you retreated from me. You couldn't even look at me in those last few days!" He cried, astounded that she seemed so surprised he come to the conclusions he did.

"_Of course I loved you! I have never stopped loving you!_" She despaired and stood from the force of her feeling, her hands clenched in shaking fists at her sides. But then she sighed with a resigned sort of defeat and slumped back into her chair.

"I left because I thought you deserved someone better than me. Someone who had the same dreams you did. You had so many dreams, Sidney; all those places you wanted to go. Do you remember? You wanted to see the world and go on adventures and make your fortune." She recalled but then her tone became one of exasperation. "I didn't want those things Sidney. I wasn't stupid; I know you thought I wanted more than you could give me. But I didn't. I didn't want more because you already had everything I wanted! You loved me and I loved you and I would have been happy with what you already had because we would have been comfortable and we would have been together and I didn't want or need more than that.

"You kept telling me about all these plans you had, all the places we would visit, the people we'd meet, the things we'd see! You wouldn't stop no matter how many times I tried to tell you that all I wanted was a home with you. You wanted to go so desperately; I could see it. But I hate travelling! It was all I knew when I was a child. We were constantly moving, going wherever my father's superiors sent him and I was so tired of it. The day they told me they were sending me to stay with my aunt is still one the happiest days I can remember living. I missed them constantly after I came back to London but I was so excited to finally be able to stay in one place, to make friends that I would have to leave behind the next time my father was reassigned."

Eliza had moved away from her chair once more to kneel before him and clasped his hands in hers as she begged him to understand. Her very being seeped despair and guilt and sorrow while he sat there in shock. He hadn't expected the things she confessed.

"You wanted to go and I couldn't bare to leave another place behind when I finally felt like I'd found somewhere I belonged, Sidney. And I knew you wouldn't be happy, not really, truly happy if you didn't get to experience those things, to chase those dreams. I loved that about you, I loved that you wanted more out of life than you had been handed. But you would not have been happy staying and I would not have been happy if I went with you. I could not be the person you wanted me to be. You wanted me to see the world with you but I had already seen more of it than I ever wanted.

"You deserved someone who would chase those dreams with you and I was not that person. I loved you enough to know it and I loved you enough to let you go. I wanted you to chase those dreams, Sidney. I refused you so you could do that! I tried to tell you why but you would not hear me after I gave you my answer. You just left and every time we met between then and your leaving you were so cold. I sent you letters but they were always returned unopened; I went our place every day but you were never there. I tried so many times to speak to you alone, to explain, to beg you to forgive me, to tell you I would be waiting for you if you chose to go, but every time someone would always appear and prevent my speaking or you would turn away from me and tell me we could have nothing more to say to each other." She chocked out between sobs and tears as years of supressed regret welled up once more and overwhelmed her. Her head had dropped to rest against Sidney's legs, muffling her words as she finished her explanation.

Sidney's jaw clenched as he fought to understand how a misunderstanding of such epic proportions could have come to be. How had he forgotten how much she hated to be more than a few miles from her home? How could he have thought she would willingly travel the world with him?

But then, he had read of her engagement and subsequent marriage to the late Mr Campion not six months following his departure from England. She claimed to have waited for him but she had not so he sought her explanation on this too.

"You had already left the country after months of silence between us and I had given up hope that would forgive me. I wrote you whenever I could ascertain your direction and never once received word back from you. The friends we shared would not speak of you to me, the few friends who did not think me a heartless Jezebel and still spoke to me." she said but refused to raise her head to look at him again.

"I refused to entertain any other gentleman my aunt and uncle introduced me too. In the end I pushed them too far and they were not willing to allow me to encroach on their generosity beyond that Season. I was to wed and wed soon." She recollected bitterly. "In my own misery I had already driven away most of the suitable men who would still have had me despite the taint that had been left on my reputation by our parting. With my parents both gone, I was left with little choice but to accept the first offer I received. I would have waited all my life for you but my circumstances prevented me from waiting any longer. I suppose I should count myself fortunate that Mr Campion had little interest in my serving any other purpose than quieting those who whispered about his preferences for… well for those who were not women." Eliza concluded and finally gathered the courage to look at her husband once more.

It was with relief that she saw the anger had fallen from his face and was now overshadowed by the same regret she had felt for so long. There was understanding too; at last all had been laid bare before them and they could only be sorry for how wrong they had been.

Sidney, cupped his wife's cheek with a mournful sigh for both their heartache that could have been so easily avoided if he had just been willing to listen to her. But what happened had, indeed, happened and they could not change their past now. They could only move forward and put past mistakes behind them. It was as Charlotte had said: it was time to make their peace with each other and look to the future and what lay before them than allow their regrets to preserve their suffering.

"Then when you said you came to the first Regatta for me…?"

Eliza smiled, feeling that, at last, some great obstacle had been overcome and they could finally be happy together. "I meant exactly that." she confirmed. "If I had wanted to attend a regatta, I could have done that quite easily in Town. Heaven knows there are enough of such things in the summer! You however were not in Town."

"You claim to hate travelling yet you travelled then and you travel regularly now. Has that changed?" Sidney pressed having realised the gap in her account and wishing that it might be explained away. He did not think he could bring himself to continue to bestow upon her what trust had been lately reformed between them.

Eliza laughed. That was easily answered! "We have, I think, both grown a great deal since then. I do not lie when I say I hate travelling. I never want to set foot on another ship in my life! But I have also come to better understand that I cannot entirely avoid travelling. Initially because I had to if I wished to see my relatives outside of the Season. Mr Campion's business kept him much in Town, such that we were rarely afforded the opportunity to visit his estate and it was fortunate his brother and his wife had been so willing to remain and oversee the day to day running of it, while my aunt and uncles were more often at their country homes than their Town homes.

"And now, as we call Sanditon our first home, I must travel to Town if I am to enjoy the things that can only be had there. It helps that it is an easy journey with good road so I am better able to tolerate it though I will never enjoy it. It is one thing to go between one's own homes in different counties and another entirely to be always shifting about from one place to the next."

Sidney let out a relieved breath and moved to pour them both a cup of the tea that had been brought in quietly by the maid while they were speaking. It was tepid when he took the first sip but finished it anyway. He stood then and suggested Eliza get dressed while he retreated back to his own chamber where he summoned his valet to rewrap the bindings about his chest. He'd made a hasty job it when dressing himself and, though much of the initial pain had eased and the bruises had turned that purple-bluish colour that indicated they had started to heal, he knew he would pay for the oversight later.

Eliza, while Sidney was getting his ribs rewrapped, remained sitting pensively for some moments longer. She knew that something significant had happened that morning and was certain it would lead to a change for the better. She was only uncertain as what would happen between them next? Would they have more moments like this? Would Sidney finally begin to let her in again? She didn't know and was reluctantly resigned to an uncertain future.

At length, Eliza rose from the chair, discarding the untouched teacup back to the tray and summoned her maid. She could not sit about in her nightgown all day when there were engagements to keep.


	41. Chapter 41

While Sidney and Eliza were individually mulling over the state of their marriage, their history and the consequences of their choices, Sanditon's remaining residents were enjoying the delights of a bazaar that had been planned for the penultimate day of the summer regatta.

The bazaar, which had been moved at the last moment to the shelter of the town hall and parish church as an unanticipated downpour commenced, was a treasure trove of unusual goods and produce. There were sundries and grains and spices from foreign lands, silks and fashions being peddled by travelling merchants and stalls with trinkets galore scattered about the two halls as the crowds bustled amongst them, admiring the strange things to be discovered and purchased.

George and Charlotte could be spied browsing the many trestles that had established themselves in the central atrium of the town hall. They stopped here and there to examine a piece of jewellery or to comment on the craftsmanship of some pretty thing or other and George would discretely purchase those things his wife admired most with the intention of presenting them to her over the coming months as little tokens of his love.

Charlotte, however, had observed her husband's attempts at subtlety and could only silently sigh with fond exasperation at his atrocious excuses when she asked after his frequent disappearances. She had caught herself from showing too much preference for some of the priciest items, no matter how delightful she found them. George observed her tempered delight and saw it for what it was and purchased them regardless much to her consternation at the utterly unnecessary expense. Some were indeed extravagant and extortionately ticketed.

It was when the couple ventured back into the streets and made their way to one the inns of better repute for luncheon that saw a peculiar confrontation between the Ladies and the gentlemen who were present in their party.

The ladies had entered the inn some half an hour before the rest of their many companions and had proceeded to scheme many numerous approaches to controlling the worst of Georgiana's wildness in an effort to engender greater humility and propriety in the wilful young lady whom their dear Charlotte claimed as a bosom friend. It was upon this discussion that the Ladies' husbands had stumbled upon and resigned themselves to the doubtlessly futile endeavour of managing their wives' intention of interfering in matters that they had no right to concern themselves with.

"Why do you ladies feel the need to manage the behaviour of a young lady who is of no significance or relation to yourselves?" The Earl of Carlisle asked of his wife and her companions.

"But she is of significance to us, my Lord Howard." his Countess said. "Miss Lambe is a close friend to our Charlotte. Her behaviour, if she is allowed to continue as she currently is, will reflect poorly on our son and daughter-in-law and, by extension, we will also be affected. Charlotte is much too strong-willed and loyal to those she cares about to simply give up her friend, regardless of the cost to her own reputation, so the friend must be managed and brought to heel." Lady Howard explained.

"Indeed." Lady Susan concurred much to the consternation of her own husband. The Marquess took great pains to avoid involving himself in his wife's social schemes where there was no political benefit and this one, unfortunately could not be avoided; his fellow lords were sure to label him a traitor if he attempted to escape the Ladies' clutch and abandon them now.

"I have, however, been attempting to make our Little G see reason. Miss Lambe is not a child and appears quite fixed in her ways. She will not be easily changed. It is also true that the young lady has matured a very great deal in recent years. She was much more wild when she and Charlotte first befriended each other."

The Ladies' husbands paled at this knowledge. Georgiana Lambe was quite wild as she currently was and the thought that her present manner was a marked improvement was a frightful thought.

"We have been considering what more… creative means we can use to encourage the girl to moderate her behaviour in public." Lady Granville confessed.

It was at this moment that George and Charlotte stepped into the public dining chambers and were hailed by the ladies and their company.

"Oh look, here come George and Charlotte! Perhaps they can help us?" Lady Granville called to the newcomers as they stepped across the threshold and motioned them over with a few deft flicks of her wrist upon gaining their attention. George commandeered two additional chairs from a neighbouring table on their approach and ensured his wife was sat comfortably before snapping out his coat tails and relaxing back in a chair of his own.

His father grasped his shoulder from his own position standing next to his wife as they all smiled at the newly arrived couple. "I understand congratulations are in order, son? Your mother could hardly contain herself when I arrived yesterday in her eagerness to tell me your news. You must both be very pleased. Your mother and I certainly look forward to greeting another grandchild soon."

"Thank you father. I do endeavour to please and this, I think, pleases us all very much." George said as his father held him in the briefest of hugs.

Charlotte's cheeks grew warm as they took on a rosy hue at her husband's thanking of his father with a satisfied grin that had been appearing at odd moments since he had learned of her present condition.

"Oh yes, you have all our most heartfelt congratulations. You have surely taken to marriage with alacrity." Lady Granville said too with a knowing secretive sort of smile and a conspiring look to her fellow ladies and their husbands. "Now, Charlotte, you must lend us your thoughts. We have been considering how we might curtail the very worst your friend's improprieties."

Charlotte eyed the older Viscountess shrewdly and with some concern. "I suppose you are referring to Miss Lambe?" she ventured.

The Ladies nodded in agreement, confirming both Charlotte's assumption and fears. "And for some reason you feel it necessary to take it upon yourselves to guide the further development of her character." Charlotte said in realisation.

"You are aware that Georgiana's character is already quite fixed? She is not likely to take kindly to being overtly controlled." She divulged that choice knowledge of her friends personality with some degree of wariness. Charlotte did not think it wise to encourage one friend's interference with another lest she find herself caught uncomfortably between them.

Charlotte pondered her next words carefully before settling on offering a choice piece of advice. "If you want her to convey the appearance of being more... mannerly than she truly is, you will need to convince her in such a way that she believes it was of her own design."

"Yes, I take your meaning. She is very wilful is she not? And of like to anything she does not decide to do for herself?" Lady Susan elaborated, though it was more for the benefit of the gentlemen who could not claim any depth of acquaintance or understanding of the female in question.

"Quite. I confess I doubt that you will experience much success with this project. Georgiana is too spirited to moderate herself for long at the best of times; it will be no small challenge to change that.

"For myself I am of the opinion that her spirit is something to be cherished. I have known too many girls who have allowed those strongest parts of themselves to be overwhelmed and silenced in the wake of what is expected of them. That Georgiana has not allowed herself to be so affected speaks to her resilience and it is a quality better admired than suppressed."

The Ladies made non-comital murmurs as Charlotte spoke and offered her thoughts on their approaching endeavours. Charlotte released a resigned sigh, knowing it was futile to argue against their collective determination. She had made her opinion known and could only hope they carefully considered their methods of convincing her friend to fall in line with their expectations.

She pushed such thoughts from her mind and sent George a beseeching look. She would rather speak of other things as they enjoyed their luncheon. Miss Lambe would likely soon be joining them with Charity and Mr Crowe and it would do no one any favours for the other girls to hear the ongoing discussion amongst the Ladies who were attentively ignoring the pleas from their own husbands to drop the matter.

"Mother, Caroline's last letter mentioned you were considering sponsoring a school for foundlings." George abruptly steered the conversation away from their tyrannical social scheming towards a less controversial topic.

"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! Won't you tell us about it?" Charlotte pressed.

Lady Howard raised a querulous brow at the forced change in direction but, spying the very cause of their disquiet entering the dining chambers ceded to her son and daughter-in-law's manipulation. "Very well, but don't think me ignorant to your purpose, George." She scolded her eldest child but continued on to share her plans for her latest charitable project.

Georgiana, Charity and Mr Crowe, who were in company with Lord Babington as chaperone, joined the already large collection of their friends in time to hear the most pertinent details of the Countess' plans and the Ladies were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic support expressed by the younger girls. Perhaps Miss Lambe was not entirely beyond hope.

"I do agree, sister. It seems a most sensible and worthy project to undertake. But will it not be very demanding on your time? I hope my nieces will not abandon you to oversee it alone?" Lady Granville said as her sister concluded.

"I am quite sure I shall manage, Harriet. If she is willing, Charlotte shall aid me. I'm sure you will have a far better understanding of what skills are needed by those females less fortunate than ourselves. I cannot image flower arranging and china painting will serve them so well in life?"

"No. I should imagine not Ma'am. And I should imagine that Lady Babington would welcome the diversion after the babe arrives as well so you shall have quite sufficient support. I remember how terribly lonely she found the first few months after Freddie's birth and he is still not old enough to occupy her for very long and so cannot be depended on to entertain her while she restricted from her usual society. I presume she did not wish to venture into the rain today, Sir?" Charlotte agreed and suggested that her absent friend might also welcome something to busy herself with.

"Ah, Lady Babington begged off today's festivities. She would sooner be dry and ungainly than sodden and ungainly." Lord Babington said with his usual joviality. "You are correct in your thinking, however. Esther would be very grateful for some project or another to attend to while she is not able to maintain her usual engagements over the autumn and winter months."

Their conversation progressed along this vein as they indulged in the light refreshments that had been brought to the table a few moments previously by one of the local men employed by the inn. Their afternoon was spent similarly to their morning though was of shorter duration with the need to prepare for the Midsummer Ball that was to be held that evening at the Pavilion Music Hall.

Charlotte and George had departed the bazaar long before the rest of their friends and family retreated to their own abodes. Charlotte's energy had waned a little over the course of the afternoon and was desirous of a rejuvenating nap before setting forth for what was sure to be an eventful evening.


	42. Chapter 42

Charity, upon leaving her reluctant suitor behind earlier that afternoon and having been invited to dress for the ball with Charlotte and Georgiana, spent what remained of the day exaggeratedly retelling stories of the previous Midsummer Balls and the many eventful happenings that always occurred during them. Following the first ball and the terrace fire there had been not one or even two but three public compromises and only the most recent had been between an already courting couple. The third ball had seen a rabble of drunken visiting sailors tearing through the hall with not a scrap of fabric to be seen among them and the fourth had been host to the discovery of one society matron's affair with another and was a revelation that neither of their husbands had accepted kindly.

There had also been the matter of a groom being almost overrun by a rogue carriage and the yet unexplained malady suffered by the newly returned Sir Edward Denham. He was freshly interred in the family's crypt having lost the battle with his sudden injuries and subseuent illness and his unhappy bride had disappeared before his corpse had even been collected by the undertakers. There had been whispers for many months after the fact speculating on her sudden absence and not a one of the rumours painted the lady in a flattering light.

Despite the shock of it all, the townsfolk could not claim to be very sorry for his loss and were even quite pleased with the new Baronet, a Sir William Denham, though he was absent from Denham Hall frequently. Charlotte would have the opportunity to meet Sir William that evening as he was due to return from a trip of some duration handling his business elsewhere and had promised to attend what would be his first event since assuming his cousin's title.

In short order, the hour of their departure had arrived and they were met as they descended the stairs by George and Mr Crowe, who had arrived to escort Charity for the evening. Georgiana had chosen to don a light blue gown with gold embellishments that was simple in design and construction but contrasted delightfully with her exotic colouring and was made extravagant by the diamonds draped about her neck and scattered in her hair. Charity had elected for a bolder, darker purple and her dress, though equally simple with nothing more to embellish it than a simple silver and opal cross, was made exquisite by the effect of the candlelight catching the fabric of the skirts.

Charlotte had dithered endlessly between two of her gowns that evening. The first was a creamy satin with only a very subtly pearly lustre with jewel toned birds and feathers embroidered across the skirts. The second, which she eventually settled on, was a deep, shiny, olive hued silk with only a little pearly silver lining the cuffs of the sleeves, neckline and hem and the skirts, lacking the usual stiff lines of the current fashions fell in soft folds that shifted and caught the light as she moved but seemed to almost mould to her skin when standing still.

Alyona had dressed their hair in elaborately styled coiffures and the young women had been slipping their fingers as they departed Charlotte's dressing room only to be met with a pair of open mouths before them and an ineffectually stifled giggle at their backs. The mens' reaction was not so unusual though, for they had, after all, been greeted with the sight of three beautiful women.

Charity reluctantly stepped down first and slipped her gloved hand into the crook of Mr Crowe's proffered elbow and the mismatched couple was followed quickly into the carriage by Georgiana. Charlotte bedecked in silk and silver and pearls descended after her friends and into her husband's arms. She had decided on fine but simple jewelled adornments that evening with a string of pearls about her throat and a plain silver comb tiara in her hair that her husband had presented her with upon their return home after browsing through the bazaar.

George had sent to London for the piece shortly after their arrival in Sanditon, intending to gift it to his wife during their stay and, after learning that their family would soon be expanding to three, had decided now was the perfect moment. It was the same simple construction that his grandmother, the late duchess, had worn to her presentation at court and had since only been worn at his own mother's wedding almost 30 years previously. It had been left to her eldest daughter upon her death and his mother had shown it to him upon the commencement of his courtship of Charlotte that it might be worn by her at her pleasure for his mother preferred her more extravagant gold pieces where the new viscountess had simpler tastes.

Charlotte too slipped her hand to rest in her waiting partner's elbow as they departed the house to enter their carriage which would convey them to the Pavilion Music Hall for a night of dancing and revelry before the regatta concluded the following day. The journey was an easy one with smooth cobbles and few enough fellow travellers that the only delay they experienced was in the waiting line of carriages as they turned the corner to approach the large hall where the Midsummer Ball had been held for the past four years.

They did not have to wait very long before a liveried footman opened the carriage door and the two gentlemen stepped out to hand down their ladies and Georgiana accepted the hand of the footman as she left the carriage behind the two couples. Charlotte and George led their party as they ascended the steps to the doors where Tom and Mary waited to greet those attending that evening and were met with enthusiastic effusions and calm, heartfelt smiles from the older couple.

Alicia Parker, who had now reached her thirteenth year, had, after a great deal of pestering her parents, been permitted to attend the first half of the ball to watch the dancing and admire the pretty dresses of the ladies before she would be escorted home by her governess as the adults sat for dinner. Charlotte laughed at the girl who could be seen slipping sneakily through the large hall and asking questions of all the ladies she knew would tolerate them and pointed out the source of her humour to George as he looked at her with confusion in the face of her sudden cheer.

"I remember how desperately Alicia wanted to watch the dancing at the first ball." she murmured in his ear as they left their hosts and stepped further into the room. "It would seem her wish has been granted this year."

Georgiana had followed with Charity and Mr Crowe joined her friend's laughter. "Alicia has been begging to attend every year since and has been inconsolable for weeks after when her parents inevitably denied her. I'm sure she doesn't know what to do with herself for the rest of the summer now that Tom and Mary have finally agreed to bring her with them." She said.

"Yes, and I am glad for it. She is such an excitable child that I am sure I shall not know what to make of her when she is unhappy." Charity added and her escort, who was in a rare state of sobriety, silently concurred.

The group had just stopped by a small cluster of chairs around a low table, when Charity grasped Georgiana's hand and directed their attention back to the doors where another couple had just finished speaking to Tom and Mary and now ventured to join the growing throng of guests. "Oh! That must be him. But who is that lady with him? I had thought he was unmarried?" she said.

"Well he was only here for a few days after the funeral and naturally didn't meet very many people. He was in mourning, don't forget." Georgiana replied and, noting the confused gazes of the other's elaborated on the comment. "The gentleman who has just arrived is Sir William Denham, Charlotte. But we do not know who his companion is. She could be his wife but no-one knows if he is married or not so we cannot be certain."

Charlotte looked at the newcomers more closely, taking notice the how close together they stood and the way the gentleman's hand hovered about her back and shoulders. "It would not surprise me if she is his wife," Charlotte observed. "though may be only very recently wed if he has only come out of full mourning these past few months and the general understanding is that he was a bachelor when he first entered the local society."

"The lady is Miss Florence Albright, Ma'am." Mr Crowe informed them. "They were wed late in the spring immediately after Sir William came out of full mourning. They delayed their wedding after Sir Edward's untimely death. There was a notice in one of the smaller papers in Town."

"You actually read the papers?" Charity could not hide her astonishment at this revelation. She had thought her unwanted suitor did little more than drink, gamble and leer after women. Or at least believed that was the reputation he propagated amongst his company.

Mr Crowe frowned at the girl sat beside him as he heard her words. It rankled some that people never seemed to look past his less favourable habits to see that he was not wholly incompetent. "Not usually," he did admit at length, "but one of my investment had put a notice in this particular paper around that time so I did deign to look through it on that occasion. And I do not often forget what I read, Miss Entworth."

Charity blushed at her lack of tact. She did not much like Mr Crowe, but she was aware that he was not so stupid as others were encouraged to believe; she had seen a few rare glimpses of sharp intelligence in the time since she had made his acquaintance though his behaviour always hid it from most observers.

"I didn't mean to imply that I thought you uneducated, Sir." She offered her apology and he accepted it with slight nod of his head and further discussion on either matter was prevented by the arrival of the couple in question, who had escaped the attentions of the elder Lady Denham and sought refuge with some of the few present with whom the baronet could claim a prior acquaintance.

"Miss Lambe, Miss Entworth, it is a pleasure to renew our acquaintance. May I introduce my wife to you? Florence, these young ladies are Miss Georgiana Lambe who is the ward of Mr Parker and her friend Miss Charity Entworth. I am not acquainted with their company though…" Sir William greeted them and presented his wife to them as he led her to a chair.

The new Lady Denham was a tall, willowy sort with hay coloured tresses, pale complexion and cornflower blue eyes. Her nose was straight and strong, her chin and jaw formed of sharp lines but softened by the flush of her cheeks and her neck long and elegant. She was what most would consider the epitome of feminine prettiness in the usual way an English rose ought to be. And as she sat amongst the skirts of her dress shifted to reveal the high swell of expectant motherhood and evidenced the fertility and felicity or their marriage.

Georgiana returned their greeting with a smile. "It certainly is a pleasure to see you once more among us Sir William and to meet your wife. I believe you were wed earlier this year?"

"It is lovely to make your acquaintance also, Miss Lambe. We were wed this April, though had my husband not been in mourning we might have married sooner." The lady said softly with a tender look at her husband.

"Then I am pleased for you both. It is always so lovely to see people in love and lovelier still to be in love. Oh! But I have not introduced you to my friends! Charity of course you have been introduced to already but the gentlemen beside her is Mr Crowe and just across from you is my dearest friend, Charlotte Howard, and her husband the Viscount Morpeth." she said seriously before her manner changed and became full of cheek. "I'm sure they won't mind if you simply call them Charlotte and George and Charity as I do. And everyone just calls Mr Crowe, Crowe because most of us don't even know what his Christian name is." she declared.

"Georgiana!" Charlotte and Charity scolded her together, their voices shocked but their faces betrayed the amused exasperation they usually felt in such moments the one their friend had just inflicted on them.

"I am sorry for our friend's manners, Sir William, Lady Denham. She does not know when to hold her tongue and on the rare occasions she is aware of a need for it, is like to choose not to." Charlotte offered with an embarrassed wince and a teasing glare at the younger woman.

But Lady Denham only laughed and waved off her concern without care. "I should consider myself lucky that I have been warned about Miss Lambe's preference for… defying convention and it does not shock me so much as it otherwise might." she said. "And please, do call me Florence. I can only image people will quickly become tired of having two Lady Denham's and I should think your Lady Denham will not kindly tolerate being called dowager to her face." she conspired laughingly.

"Am I correct in thinking that another sort of congratulations are also in order, Ma'am?" Charity blurted, hoping to direct the conversation away from her friend's latest _faux pas_, though she was sure Charlotte, despite her apology was not nearly so mortified by it as she was herself and Georgiana seemed perfectly content to continue in her usual imprudent manner.

Florence blinked owlishly at her, taken aback by the suddenness of the enquiry but serenely confirmed that yes, she was with child and that they expected the babe to arrive a little before yuletide. Naturally, Georgiana ignored her friend's inelegant attempt to divert attention from her shambled introductions and proceeded to inform their new acquaintances that that was wonderful and that Charlotte and George were also expecting their first child and that, though theirs would be along until the spring, perhaps their children might become friends and play together whenever they visited Sanditon again in the future. This earned her a stern look from the couple concerned who, though rather fond of the outspoken girl, did not much appreciate her airing their affairs for all to know.

It was fortunate for Georgiana that the rest of their friends made their own timely appearance after that and discussion turned to safer topics and Georgiana was spared a rare scolding from her dearest friend. Georgiana thought Charlotte had become much to serious for own good in the years they had been apart and really should welcome a little more impropriety rather than berating her for it.


End file.
